Disciples of Ryouzanpaku

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto or Kenichi, Mightiest Disciple

"Normal Speech"
"Thoughts"
"Demonic/Enraged"

Chapter 3: A Family

The lunch break on, he'd sought out the only people that he really knew in the school. And, while he did find them, they were pretty well hidden away. Kenichi'd almost cleared the ceiling in fright at being found, though it might've also been because he'd snuck in on their lunch.

"You need to relax, Kenichi," he recommended, trying not to smile as he watched his fellow disciple hyperventilate.

"Easy for you to say!" the brunette snapped back in retort. "You don't have people trying to fight you everywhere you go!"

"At least you're getting in some extra running," he proposed in weak jest.

Pouting sullenly, Kenichi bit into his sandwich without further preamble. "Oh, hahah." Most of the time, he ended up getting chased until he gave up and fought. Surprisingly, they'd done nothing to dampen rumors of his defeat at the hands of Tsuji, not even after the first week, so hunting season remained open on his scrawny butt.

Brow furrowing cutely, Miu smiled and tried to comfort him. "At least no one will find us in here." Looking to Naruto, she got a shrugging nod, meaning he had been discrete in his discovery of their secret dining spot.

"Yeah. All the people that want to kick your butt are still wandering around the school." Kenichi shivered. "Heck, I passed a bunch of seniors who were looking for you not ten minutes ago." Looking piteous, Kenichi rocked himself back and forth on the mat.

"Naruto, that's not helping," Miu whispered to him. Throughout his little talk, the poor boy had started twitching violently, overcome by a shadow of depression towards the fate awaiting him outside.

Laughing uneasily, "Sorry, sorry." Drinking some of his tea, he sat in silence with them. Not even a day after his arrival and subsequent meeting of Kenichi, the first disciple had gotten his butt handed to him in a street fight. Now everyone else wanted a piece.

Sipping his tea, the former shinobi looked thoughtful. "Look at the bright side."

"Feh, what bright side?" he groused.

"After school's over…"

Brown eyes looking up in hope, "Yeah?"

"You get to leave…and get driven into the ground at the dojo." Kenichi went face-first into the mat they were sitting on before curling into the fetal position.

"Mylifescary. Mylifescary. Mylifescary-"

"Naruto!" Miu whined, warning him with a brandished rice ball.

Embarrassed, but unable to hide his grin, he threw up his hands. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help it!"

"Ah, here you are." Kenichi's encompassing self-pity melted away to sheer annoyance at the voice, recognizing its grating, high-pitched whine immediately. "Niijima, great. Like my day wasn't bad enough."

"Oh, that hurts, Kenichi," the weasely teen uttered, recoiling in fake hurt.

Quietly sipping his tea, watching the goings on between the pair, he leaned across to Miu. "Who's this?" His visage practically screamed "weirdo." Well, that and "creep," but who was he to judge? Maybe his initial instincts were off.

Not likely.

Accepting the courteously offered cup of tea from Miu, the seedy teen noticed the increased number in the group. "Hm? Oh, expanding your inner circle, hm, Kenichi?"

Golden eyebrows quirked. Whoa, he did not like that look.

Pulling out his pda, he matched the face to the student roster, pulling up his profile. "Making friends with upperclassmen, Kenichi?" Naruto Uzumaki. Sophomore. Transfer student. Oddly, he has no information prior to transferring into school. No previous school, nor address or anything else really. The only reason he'd been accepted was via a placement test, but that still told him nothing. Hm, it would never do for him to leave his files incomplete.

"Haruo Niijima," the oily teen crooned, extending his hand.

He shook the proffered limb somewhat reluctantly. It felt like he was shaking hands with the devil, or something like that. Weird.

"Naruto Uzumaki."

"Oh, I know who you are," Niijima clucked. "I suppose Kenichi hasn't mentioned me. I make it my business to know everything about everyone."

Regarding the almost sinister undertone, and yet not feeling anything threatening from him, "You're kinda weird." Never let it be said he liked to sugar his words.

(Leaving school for the day)

"You know the nuttiest people."

Kenichi glared sulkily back at him. "Maybe, but you know them too."

Pausing in his steps, the blonde scratched at his cheek, thinking. "Huh, I guess you're right."

Leaning against the wall of the street they'd just passed, Nijima smiled darkly. This was a new piece to the board, but perhaps one that he could use similarly to Kenichi. The familiarity he had with Kenichi and Miu, and the very vague information on him, made his sixth sense tingle. It wasn't the first time he'd had so little information on someone. In fact, Miu's file was much the same, even though hers did have prior scholastic history.

There was something going on, he knew it.

Flipping the lid closed over his pda, he started walking, smirking fiendishly.

To say that Shigure had given up on Kenichi was untrue. The fact of the situation was thus: Kenichi didn't like weapons, didn't intend to use weapons, so at most she would teach him to defend against them. Usually scarring him in the process, mentally as well as physically. A minimal use of her skills. Naruto, on the other hand, had no such compunctions. And this pleased the weapons master. Here was a student that she could truly teach.

"Your stance…" she lectured. "It needs to be strong, but flexible."

With considerable words on his part, Akisame had managed to convince Shigure that, while swordplay wasn't out of the question, for teaching purposes she should use wooden swords.

…That he'd actually carved recently.

Seriously, did the guy sleep at all?

Across from him, that same sleepy expression across her beatific features, Shigure stood poised, her own wooden katana in hand.

And, at the same time, she was analyzing him. She had yet to even teach him any of the intended exercises, and already he was yielding information. His stance was sloppy, understandable for someone with no prior sword training, but adaptable. His grip was strong, but loose around the wooden hilt. Obviously, he was dipping into his experiences of using kunai in hand-to-hand. A start, but she would show him the proper method.

Despite all she saw, there was still more she needed to evaluate. Alongside him, she led him through a slow lunge, bringing her raised bokken down in one smooth stroke. "Your attacks…need to flow." Motioning him to continue copying her movements. "If you hesitate, your strikes lose…power."

After demonstrating several different katas, "You will practice these motions…until you know them by heart," she breathed, arms crossed under her substantial chest. "And then…you will combine them." Stepping up next to him, she reached out to correct his grip, repositioning his hands an almost imperceptibly small amount, yet visible to her. Still holding her hands over his, sword aloft, "Strength will come later. It isn't always the stronger swordsman…that wins. Skill, agility, finesse…are all important. You must be able to make all your attacks into one continuous dance."

Really, he had to admire the masters at times listening to his senseis speaking passionately about their field of expertise. Jiraiya'd been the same. He spoke a big, perverted game, but when that was put aside, he'd seen just how great a man his teacher was.

THW-K!

"Stay…focused."

Uncrossing his eyes, he shook his head, clearing the stars away. His concentration slipping, she'd clocked him upside the head with a gentle strike from her wooden sword.

Gentle for her, and it still meant a lump to him.

"Sorry, master." To his surprise, she reached up and patted him on the head.

"Train now…think later," in that ever dusky voice.

A woman of few words, his sensei.

An hour later and it was a joint session with Kenichi, training with Sakaki. Kenichi looked no worse for wear. Considering he'd been training with Apachai less than an hour earlier, that was a miracle.

"Alright, you two. Get to punching," gesturing to the planted logs bound with rope. "I want you to keep good form."

"Yes, master Sakaki!" The two chorused, though Naruto's was less emphatic. He wasn't like Kenichi, ready to boldly shout out everything to his teachers.

Downing the last of his beer, he crushed the can, unceremoniously tossing it onto the porch that ringed the nearest building for later disposal. Taking a breath, he stood by his own post. "Alright. Now, I want a hundred punches from each of you."

"Well that's not so bad," Kenichi whispered lowly to no one in general. But Sakaki still caught it.

"That's just to get you warmed up, Kenichi," he explained with a vicious smirk. Darkly vicious.

Half an hour later found the pair watching as their Karate sensei introduced them to a new technique.

"It's called the meotoude," Sakaki described, moving both fists in tandem.

Any enthusiasm Kenichi had for learning a new technique from the karate master that day died then. "The married couple's hand? Seriously?" Not to judge…but that was a lame name.

Naruto rolled his eyes at the younger teen, remembering when he'd acted much the same with Jiraiya. Once upon a time, he'd been all "teach me something awesome, pervy sage."

Really weird being on the outside of that argument. And a little humbling.

Whatever anemic attitude Kenichi had for the day's lesson under the karate master, it didn't prevent said karate aficionado from continuing his teaching. Though his first response to Kenichi's underwhelming response to his choice of techniques for the day was to cuff the brat upside the head. Of course, "easily" still meant the brunette went face first into the dirt.

Oh yeah, he remembered those moments too.

He'd learned quickly to avoid those where and when he could.

"Stop yer whinin', brat," Sakaki sighed roughly. "You don't see your fellow disciple bitching."

Shaking his head at Kenichi pulling himself dizzily back up to his feet, "Like I can't figure out whining makes things worse?" Kenichi glared the best he could at him despite the fact that there was three of the blonde bobbing around his field of vision.

Sakaki nodded sagely, crossing his arms again. "You hear that, Kenichi? Your fellow disciple says to "man up"!"

"I didn't say that," Naruto mentally groaned, knowing better than to let any utterance slip past his lips. "Don't put words in my mouth, boozehound sensei." He earned a smack to the head for that one, but managed to catch himself before he could fall, merely stumbling in place.

Worth it.

Sakaki ignored any and all of Kenichi's mumblings. He wouldn't settle for slacking on his watch. "Yeah, whatever. Get your butts in gear. I want you to go through the motions. Two-hundred times against the post, and then you'll have a short spar to test it out." He beat the lesson into them, but it would be some time before Kenichi would fully appreciate the move.

"C'mon, Naruto! PUNCH! YOU CAN DO IT!" Apachai cheered, leading the blonde in a gentle, by his definition, spar, while Kenichi watched from the sidelines.

Twitching.

It would be his turn to face the Muay Thai giant next. This was like a prelude, a nightmare before the real thing.

"NOW, YOU DODGE!"

HWAP!

Kenichi flinched on instinct.

The blonde ate a knee to the chest that time. Naruto felt himself lifted free of gravity's hold for a split second before crumpling back to the ground, falling to his knees, coughing and wheezing, bug-eyed and tearing up.

"NOOOOHOHOHO!" Apachai immediately began wailing. "APACHAI DID IT AGAIN!" Gloved fists perched humorously atop his head, he stared down at Naruto. "NARUTO! DON"T DIE ON APACHAI!"

To Kenichi's shock though, the blonde's hand, shaking though it was, came up a moment later, waving off the giant's fears, forcing a grin through the pain. "'S okhay," he rasped, coughing. "Jus'…need a sec."

The scary part was…Apachai was truly endeavoring to be more easy with them. He was just lucky that it hadn't been a headshot. As far as training with Apachai was concerned…concussions were par for the course.

"APA!" Mitts held high in triumph, Apachai cheered on the winded, near unconscious blonde for not giving up. "NARUTO DIDN"T GO UNCONSCIOUS OR DIE! APACHAI IS ALL FIRED UP!"

But it wasn't meant to be.

Stepping in, "As proud as we are of Naruto not dying, Apachai," Akisame interrupted. "I think we should trade in Kenichi now." The renowned medical practitioner could see readily that the blonde was a hair's breadth from passing out, so to reward his steadfastness and Apachai's continually learning restraint, he would offer a reward.

Too bad Kenichi had to get the stick in that deal.

Kenichi whimpered at the scene. That was the standard they lived by in Ryozanpaku…death waiting in the wings at every training session.

While the quaking disciple trudged forward to his potential death, Naruto limped past him to take his place on the sidelines.

"Let's see," the Juujutsu master mused, poking the blonde none too gently in the ribs. Naruto grimaced, but managed not to suck wind at the discomfort. "Mmn, no broken ribs. Good." The retraining was going well. While strong before, the retraining was beginning to show. Muscle groups were improving. Now they just had to deal with all the more difficult ingrained teachings.

Naruto had the tendency to react instinctually in fights. Instinct was good. Unlike Kenichi, he could on a fly react to an attack, though the first disciple would likely develop that ability soon enough. It tended to separate amateurs from experienced fighters. The problem lay in that he had had no structured martial arts training before he'd developed it. All his instincts were honed around a brawler's fighting ability. He would have to relearn, and adapt this instinct to their teachings for him to excel and grow.

After their joint session with Apachai, both teens found themselves collapsed on the ground just off the porch that encircled the dojo. Each nursed varied aches and bruises testament to their surviving the Thai giant's teaching. Kenichi had an epic icepack, multiple bags strapped to his head by Miu, while his blonde fellow disciple had his ice against his chest from where Apachai had darn near broken his ribs. At least that was how the blonde felt. He really missed the days when his healing was near instantaneous. He wasn't as bad as most; he still healed many times faster than what a normal person would. He was looking at several days of aching, more so if not for the inexplicably potent concoctions Kensei and Akisame fed them to speed their recoveries. Compounds that on more than one occasion they'd refused to talk about, and he'd gotten the feeling it was better not to know.

"That's the tough love between master and student."

"Uhn, yeah…I can feel the love…" Kenichi muttered in response to Kensei's mocking. "Is it supposed to taste like the color purple?"

"Purple? Really?" Naruto questioned from where he lay, pushing himself up against the porch. "I could swear it tastes like umber…with a hint of sunshine."

Apachai was huddled on the walkway over them, knees to his chest, eyes wide in admiration for the two disciples. "Kenichi and Naruto can taste colors? Apachai is so jealous! Apachai tried tasting colors once, but the crayons tasted bad."

Laughing heartily at both Apachai's account and the groaning lumps of flesh that were the disciples of Ryozanpaku, the elder sat alongside Akisame, a shogi board between them. "Ahahahaha-hahah! You boys should be more spirited. You're doing well…besides having no real aptitude between the two of you." Whoa, talk about coming along behind and burying the knife in their backs. "Anyway, the sun's called it quits for the day. You two should clean up, dinner should be ready soon."

"I know this is supposed to be for our betterment, elder," Naruto offered. Pushing himself, wobbling to his feet, he pulled Kenichi up by the arm. "But you're all a bunch of mean mean people." Putting it lightly.

"Does anyone else hear "Please work me into the dirt early tomorrow morning, sensei"?" Akisame nonchalantly countered, setting a stone down on the board and taking the corner.

Kenichi didn't have the strength for any kind of rebuttal, nor did he have Naruto's knack for mouthing off, so he reveled in not being the center of attention.

Dinner was much the same as it always was since the disciples had moved into the dojo. Meaning that both had to eat very defensively as the masters tended to snag bits from their plates. Naruto had yet to have as much of a problem with that since Kenichi had been targeted as the easier target.

Shortly afterwards, the pair were led on their traditional post-dinner jog. Kenichi had his tire and whip brandishing sensei, and Naruto had his tire still laden with freaky statues…keeping a lengthy distance ahead so as not to get whipped himself.

The night was fair, the stars were out, he ached…and there was a hot spring calling his name.

This was something like his fourth or fifth time in the spring since his arrival, yet it never ceased to amaze at all the traps his weapons teacher tended to sow the area with. He knew how to avoid traps, so it didn't bother him…it was just something to admire.

Slipping into the steaming water, he sighed. It took a certain amount of control to not let his entire body relax from the moment he dropped in up to his waist. Taking a decompressing breath, he lowered himself down to his neck.

Heaven.

Eyelids drifting closed, he let the water work its magic.

"Chu." Blinking sleepily, he came almost eye-to-eye with Touchomaru floating by his face, the mouse waving casually at him. Yawning, he let it go, closing his eyes once more.

"Shouldn't sleep…in the spring."

"Mm." Wait a minute… At the moment he was too nervous to open his eyes. "Shigure-sensei?"

"…Yes?"

"Why're you in the hot spring?" Better yet, when? He hadn't heard her or felt the water move at all.

"…Felt like it."

"Ah." Sitting up, pushing the drowsiness aside, he looked over in the general direction of her voice…and tried his best not to stare. He knew that when it came to modesty, his sensei was a little…lacking. And yet he hadn't expected an outcome like this. Sitting barely an arm's breadth from him was Shigure, eyes in that usual half-lidded, almost sleepy state, completely…completely devoid of clothing. She looked especially stunning with her hair pinned up out of the way.

Back in the Dojo…

Kensei's latest magazine slipped from his fingers. His ero-senses were tingling. Somewhere…there was something ero happening…and he was missing it.

He was so glad of the water covering her chest…most of her chest. He was not looking forward to that kind of embarrassment. He prided himself on his self-control. So no staring!

In that moment of assessment, Touchomaru had swum over to him and climbed up onto his shoulder, going straight up his hair to the top of his head. Where, with great poise, not just for a mouse, he did a swan dive using his spikey hair as a board.

PLOP!

"…" He really didn't know what to say in a moment like this. "Um…"

"I won't be teaching you…tomorrow."

Ooh, perfect, she broke the ice. That'd give him another span to think up something to… Wait. What? "No practice?" That was downright spooky. Shigure had, as of yet, never missed a day of training. But then he hadn't been here that long yet. Distracted enough to free his thoughts from potential embarrassment, he sent his teacher a look of honest interest. "Why not?"

"I am…going out."

Ohhh. Succinct, as always.

"Can I ask why?" He wasn't digging. This was just idle curiosity rearing its head.

"Yes."

Really? Not that he shouldn't expect this from one of the masters that so enjoyed playing with the mortality of their disciples. "Where are you going, sensei?" he asked dryly.

"Out."

For his own dignity…he didn't smack himself for not seeing that one coming either.

"Maybe I'll tell you," she stated out of the blue, her voice soft as a whisper. "…When I get back."

Grumbling at his sensei's unusually cryptic speech, he sank down until he was nose deep in the water where his grumbling could only be discerned as bubbles.

A gentle, damp weight landed on his head. Eyes shifting, he saw Shigure with her arm outstretched, her hand resting on his head. Ruffling his hair like one would a pet, "Good…boy." With her, he couldn't tell if that was a jest, or a compliment. What downright shocked him was the small, almost sleepy smile that she wore, looking down at him in what he could swear, for her, was deep amusement.

He tried not to blush. He failed in that regard, but he still tried.

On her head, he saw Touchomaru staring speculatively at him, little paws motioning back and forth in an "I've got my eyes on you" gesture. It was confusing, comical…and a little unnerving.

He would end up waiting all day and into the night for his weapons teacher to return.

After school, he endured the beatings of the masters and their so-called "daily lessons" only to collapse achingly at the dinner table, waiting for the food to be served. He was doing better than Kenichi in that respect. They could both take beatings, but Naruto's uncanny and welcomed ability to bounce back was worlds beyond his even without his chakra.

Poor Kenichi drifted in and out of consciousness, needing to be woken up and prompted to eat.

Halfway through and Shigure shuffled past the open doors, quietly but tiredly down the wooden walkway. The other masters likely knew the moment she'd entered the gate; he'd picked up her presence from the first step on the wooden planks. Bless his hearing.

And she looked rough.

The battered duster she'd left in was barely holding together, riddled with tears and what looked suspiciously like slash marks.

He made no mention of it given how the masters made no big deal of it, but he was certainly interested in hearing the story behind her worn state. He respected her skill, and was more than a little amazed that someone could do that to her. Before she cleared the doors though, he caught sight of the long, wrapped package in her hand.

It would take an idiot not to come to a conclusion, but only an educated idiot could come to a likely conclusion. A sword? Hers was still on her back. So then what was this?

Taking his time, he savored his meal. Miu truly was an excellent cook. And, after the days they tended to have at the dojo, a good meal was like sweet relief.

His plate looking as clean as if it'd been washed, he put down his utensils…and the kunai he'd been secretly using to fend off the masters.

Apparently, he was just in time, too, as a tugging on his hair alerted him to Touchomaru sitting on his shoulder. "Chu."

He had a fair idea of what the little guy wanted. "Uh, I'm gonna take a plate to Shigure-sensei," he excused, picking up her already prepared plate.

"Get going then, son," the Elder dismissed, relaxing in his tea. "I'm certain she'd hungry after a long day."

That said, Naruto left as swiftly as he could manage, knowing full well that if he didn't he'd be catching some insinuating remarks from the Kenpo master. Too bad he missed the small man get up and race for the door, only to have his tunic tail caught by the Elder. "Kensei, please, you're interrupting dinner." As if he didn't know exactly where the man had been headed. He normally let the man fool around, but the wizened man guessed that there was reason for privacy, given how little Touchomaru had been sent to retrieve their second disciple.

It filled the Elder with pride at how their disciples had livened up dojo life. Just their small family, and things had been cracking at the seems from all their…eccentricities. First Kenichi and then Naruto. The two had sobered them all. Well, maybe that was a bit too strong a word. They had given them something to focus their energies on. Yes, that described their changed life well.

Miu smiled more, something that brought joy to his old, young heart.

Naruto was certainly changing Shigure. He always knew she had the makings of a great teacher. And true enough, she poured all she could into training young Naruto. The depression she'd exhibited at Kenichi's dislike of weapons disappeared completely with Naruto's acceptance of her training.

Naruto was much like Jiraiya had wrote. Stubborn as the earth, and not terribly cerebral, but he soaked up proper teaching like a sponge to water. A good student, potentially more so…if the teacher was willing to polish up all his rough edges, and there were plenty of those to be had.

It was humorous to see the similarities between him and Jiraiya, but also encouraging. The men those type usually became were a rarity.

Not that he didn't have his hopes for Ken-chan, too.

Such promising new children in their family.

AN/ End to another chapter. Setting it up for Shigure to tell her story to Naruto next chapter.