Author's Notes: I had worked out the backs of how to connect Harry Potter's Army (Dumbledoe's Army or whatever they're called) and the Nerima Wrecking Crew. Somewhere in the plot line, I happened to watch one of the fantasy anime series are realized that I had my trigger point for majou shoji - a temple guardian/minor god that I wound up calling Kitsune-kami-sama-kun - a young fox god with a nasty sense of humour and the ability to tease you to distraction.

Of course, the authors of the orignal novels and anime series retain their rights and privilegesover their materials. This is a work of my own based upon their original works, but ignoring the canon where needed.

Yes, my typing sucks and I really should use spell-check more often. I also tend to get Japanese naming conventions wrong (notably when to use first and surnames), plus use the wrong character name when there are multiple using similar or close names. Hey, when you're working from memory in a flow-of-consciousness, this sort of thing happens.

Of course, if you've read my other stories, you'll have encountered my ironic and sometimes really nasty sense of humour. Sad to say, I inherited that from my father and never did ask him where he got his from.

Anyway, read on and enjoy. Those of you who are reading the other stories, don't worry - I'll circle back shortly and add new chapters to all three stories over the next week or so.

NWC-HP...NWC-HP...NWC-HP...NWC-HP...NWC-HP...NWC-HP...NWC-HP...NWC-HP...

Kamijou Misuzu focused on sweeping the leaves from the path, letting her mind run in an idling mode while she listened to the birds chirping and the breeze wafting through the trees. A great way of relaxing after a shift at the hospital that would go into the records as a wild-and-crazy night.

The sound of someone working on a kata slipped into her consciousness, with the sound of cloth softly snapping in tandem with the shifting gravel and sharp breaths and exhalations. Not that it was loud, but the speed of the sequences and the force being applied to each strike and kick was what made it stand out against the backgroundnoices of the temple complex and the city at the foot of the hill.

Her concentration broken, she straightened and looked around, seeking the martial arts sounds' source. Walking to the grove of trees beside the torii, she stepped through and came upon the clearing at the center of the grove. Stopping just outside of the clearing, she watched the young man working the kata, one that she did not know.

He worked through the kata with a fierceness and concentration that made her imagine him being attacked by three invisible opponents. Each strike and kick were delivered with the full force needed for combat, with not holding back as would most other martial artists doing a solo kata. Looking around, she noticed Abbot Happosai sitting at the base of a cherry tree, smoking his pipe and observing the kata being performed. He looked over at her and twitched his head in a come-here getsture. She walked slowly over to the abbott along the edge of the trees while watching the kata being performed, if anything, even more crisply than before.

Squatting down beside the abbot, she settled down against the tree and observed the kata end, the young man freezing in the final position then straightening to the starting positon of another kata, and powered through that one, one that involved aerial moves.

"Enough!" spoke the abbot, knocking out his pipe and grinding the ashes into the humus and stirring them. MIsuzu looked at the young martial artist, who was breathing heavily and bowing to the abbot and her.

"You've come a long, long way from the last time that I saw you demonstrating, what, twelve years ago? Your father was about to take you on a trianing trip."

"Yes, sensei. It lasted ten years, and we're now staying with the Tendos in Nerima." He looked down, embarassed for some reason; then looked up. "And that's when the craziness started."

"Thank you, Saotome. Ah, Kamijou-chan, it's fortunate that you were around just now. It saves me the problem of asking this question later. Do you know someone who is a good counsellor? I know that this is a big imposition, asking about work when you're off. I know a few but this is your field and it would save Saotome a lot of time that he deasn't have."

Abbot Happosai looked at the young man, who hung his head in embarassment. He looked up, his expression of determiniation, and then bowed deeply. "I apologize for sensei's impostion on you. You see, the craziness that I mentined is undoubtably following me and I'd rather not have it disturb the peace of this shrine. Or worse, cause it damage. All I need is a starting point and I can take it from there."

Misuzu sighed. "Ok, sensei. You obviously know this young man and trust his motives. I can make a few calls while he cools off and cleans himself up. Can you have him come by the house in about fifteen minutes?"

The abbot smiled and bowed. "I will make sure that he does. After all, we haven't realy talked in a long, long time and I want to har about his master, Happosai, my brother. Is he still the pervert that he was?"

"Probably worse, sensei. My father and Mister Tendo had him sealed away for almost ten years but he got out just after we returned from China. Can we go so that Miss Kamijou won't have to wait for us?"

With this, the abbot levered himself off of the ground and showed Saotome towards the monks' quarters and the other guest house.

Misuzu scratched her head and muttered, "I have a bad feeling about this..."