I really do love anoynmous reviews. If you're going to flame me, do it once per chapter, not like four times in one chapter, twice in the same day using different names to relate to each other(I'm fairly sure it's same guy everytime). If you don't leave me a return of address, a fake name and you complain about the same thing over and over again, I really stop caring after three words. 'This story sucks!' Then why are you reading it, why complain, why do you care so much whether or not I keep posting it? A review is a review to me, you're anoynmous with no courage to actually have the balls to at least leave a return of a address, your opinion is made invalide by that point alone, you have said everything you can, move on. I'll continue my life of writing, and you continue your life of trying to find something to actually live for.
Takeo was used to getting up early in the morning now. Before coming to Hinata he hated mornings, and tried his best to sleep till noon. Even on school days he'd fall asleep in class till lunch. His schedule now was wake up, exercise with Motoko and Keitaro. He never participated in the sword play, he just mostly watched from the side and did push ups. After that it was school, something he was never excited about. His school was only a few blocks from Shinobu's and Su's, and they both got off at the same time, so they normally all walked back to the apartments together.
The moment Takeo got back it was chores. Mondays were windows, Tuesdays were first floor, Wednesday was second, Thursday was third, and the remaining days were to clean what had been missed, or clean what was messed up again an hour after it had been cleaned. With the chores split Keitaro had more free time on his hands, and spent most of it on his school work. Takeo with his free time, spent it in his room.
Laundry came around again and Takeo carried the baskets for Shinobu like he always did. Over half of Takeo's socializing was with Shinobu on laundry days. Other than that, he really didn't talk to anyone else except for at dinner at breakfast, or with Keitaro when they were washing windows or some other task.
"I remember when everyone did their own laundry," Shinobu said as she dropped off her own basket and slid her door shut.
"Let me guess, everyone is too busy working or something, so you just do it all to ease their schedule," Takeo said then placed down a basket, knocked and kept walking.
"Basically," Shinobu said and walked backwards to look at him as they talked.
"Aren't you busy as hell too?" Takeo asked then dropped off Keitaro's basket and knocked.
"Well, yeah, but not as busy. You probably have the freest schedule here, everyone else is trying to get into school or going to school."
"And Kitsune is running the tea shop. Didn't Haruka run that thing, where the hell did she go?" Takeo asked.
"You know her?" Shinobu asked.
"Sort of, I meet her a few times while buying candy from Keitaro's folks, other than that can't say I'm her friend," Takeo said and began to climb stairs to drop off the last basket to Motoko's room. Naru had done her own laundry this time.
"Well she got married and she's excavating somewhere with Seta in Molmol," Shinobu said as Takeo reached the top of the stairs.
"Molmol, where the hell is that?" Takeo asked and placed the basket down and knocked.
"It's where Su's from," Shinobu said and kept walking with Takeo following.
"Su, if the entire country is as screwed up as her then she'd be the mayor," Takeo said.
"She's actually the princess," Shinobu said and turned around for his reaction.
"Remind me to never go to Molmol," Takeo said and stopped at his room.
"God dammit!" Motoko's voice shouted from her room. Takeo looked down the hall, then back at Shinobu who shrugged.
"Probably having some trouble in english or something," Shinobu said and walked down the hall to the stairs, "Best not get involved."
"So I've learned," Takeo said and walked into his room.
"See you at dinner?" Shinobu asked.
"Like always," Takeo said and slid his door shut behind him.
The next morning Takeo was leaning against the railing on the roof while Keitaro and Motoko sparred. They stopped halfway for a break and Keitaro whipped his face off with a towel he had placed on the laundry lines.
"Are you going to do anything more than watch today?" Motoko asked as she sat down and crossed her legs.
"Probably not," Takeo said and looked at Keitaro who was almost finished catching his breath then back at Motoko, "Heard you last night screaming at your text book."
"I hate english," Motoko said.
"So Shinobu said," Takeo replied.
"Takeo, catch," Keitaro said and tossed him a practice sword. Takeo caught it one handed and looked back at him.
"This is for what exactly?" Takeo asked.
"Come on, let's see if you can at least beat me. Got to warn you, I'm actually not that bad," Keitaro said with a grin.
"Alright," Takeo said then got off the railing and walked to the center of the roof. He placed his feet right and took a stance that made Motoko curious.
'His footing is off a little, but that looks like a god cry school stance,' Motoko said and stood up to watch the fight, 'Does he know it because he's been watching us?'
Keitaro moved in quick and had his sword knocked away. Stunned from surprise, Takeo saw his guard was down and slammed the sword against Keitaro's stomach. Spinning around he smacked Keitaro in the back of his right thigh, then finished with a shot to the back of his head.
Takeo walked away chuckling as Keitaro got to his feet and rubbed the back of his head.
"Beginners luck," Keitaro said and got himself ready again.
'Was that beginners luck?' Motoko asked herself.
"Whatever you say," Takeo said then waited for Keitaro to charge again. Keitaro charged in and Motoko watched carefully as Takeo with more effort this time, sent Keitaro on his ass again.
"Whoa, he's actually really good," Keitaro said to Motoko who readied her sword.
"That's not luck Keitaro, he forgotten to tell us he knows the basics in god cry school," Motoko said.
"What?" Keitaro asked.
"Who taught you?" Motoko asked.
"My mother did, and said she learned from a school but never said where. When I was younger, she taught me how to defend myself when some kids started to pick on me. She taught me the basics, and some of the more complicated stuff," Takeo said and looked at Motoko.
"How complicated?" Motoko asked.
"Air splitting sword I never did manage, but some of the defense stances I can do," Takeo answered and changed stances. Another god cry school.
"Keitaro, don't freak out," Motoko said.
"O..kay?" Keitaro responded as Motoko focused for something, "What are you going to do?"
"Air splitting sword!" Motoko shouted and aimed it for Takeo. Takeo smiled and held the tip of the sword straight out in front of him. He held the handle with his left hand, and pushed his right palm against the bottom of the handle. The gust of wind hit the tip of the sword, and split around him instead of going straight through him.
"What the hell!" Keitaro shouted as Takeo smiled and stood straight again.
"Air splinting cancellation stance," Motoko said and Takeo nodded.
"Why would there be something to cancel it?" Keitaro asked.
"In case another clan discovered how to do the technique, we could defend against our own attacks. Or if a member of the clan went rogue, which seems to the be the case here," Motoko said.
"No, my mother was kicked out," Takeo said.
"Why?" Motoko asked.
"Never said, and it's not like I can ask her now," Takeo said while waiting for Motoko to strike again.
"Don't hold back," Motoko said then charge in. Takeo smiled and blocked her first shot that knocked him off of his feet.
'She's faster and stronger than Keitaro,' Takeo said to himself then fixed his foot upon landing and swung back, making Motoko step back and block, and counter with a shot that connected with Takeo's head. Takeo rolled off of his shoulder and slid to a stop. He rubbed his head and felt a small amount of blood coming from around his right ear.
"Stings?" Motoko asked.
"No, it feels lovely," Takeo said then charged in and had his sword knocked out of his hand. Motoko kicked him in the center of his chest, sending him sliding across the floor toward his sword. He got to his feet and ran for his sword. Picking it up he turned around and got smacked across the forehead. He wobbled back and hit the railing, and began to fall over.
"Takeo!" Keitaro shouted and ran for him as Motoko tried to grab his ankle. She didn't make it in time and Takeo toppled over the top and crashed with a splash into the shallow water of the hot spring.
"He's waking up," Shinobu said as Takeo opened his eyes and looked at the bright light above him. He lifted his left arm to block the light, and noticed his right arm hurt and couldn't move much.
"It's about time," Sarah said from behind her, "You had to go and piss off Motoko didn't you?"
"I what, I didn't piss her off, we were sparring," Takeo said and squinted from the light.
"And she beat the crap out of you," Shinobu said, "Knocked you right into the bath, good thing you were unconscious, I was bathing."
"Shame for me," Takeo said and laughed. Shinobu blushed and walked to the other side of the room as Motoko walked in.
"Could everybody please leave, I need to talk to him," Motoko said and Sarah sighed and left with Shinobu.
"Here to gloat?" Takeo asked.
"No, if I were here to gloat you'd be lucky. God Cry codes state that if anyone is to know of our techniques without our knowledge, they are to be brought to the main house and evaluated by the current head of the school," Motoko said.
"And?" Takeo asked.
"You know stuff you're not supposed to know. So tomorrow we're going to Kyoto to see the head of the school. I called them earlier and my sister would like to meet you as well."
"Your sister. Is she as good as you are?" Takeo asked.
"I'm scared of how good my sister is," Motoko said and Takeo looked straight up at the light.
"That's really comforting," Takeo said and sighed.
"We're leaving early tomorrow, you're being discharged in about an hour, so I guess I'll meet you at the apartments then," Motoko said then left the room. Takeo looked straight up and then looked at his right arm. It was in a cast, broken in two places from the fall.
"Could of been worse, least it didn't kill me," Takeo said and watched as the others walked into the room to keep him company.