Description: After Hotaru's attempt to talk to Raizo Imawano ends with the old man and Takuma Sakazaki beating each other senseless, Raizo follows the trail to Seijyun, where he arranges for a chance to talk to the girl, and give her a little history lesson - and give her an idea of just the kind of threat Kurow Kirishima really poses.
"...and by taking the length of the hypotonus and the degree of the angle opposite of it..." Hotaru's attention to the lecturing math teacher was fading in and out, her thoughts wandering to matters entirely unrelated to the course material. The problems of angles, lines, and circles seem pretty unimportant to the things that have been weighing on her mind the last few days. She had gone to speak with the Principal of Justice High the day before and it seemed like she was just about to get somewhere when the father of her Kyokugen instructor leaped between the two and began ranting and raving about things that didn't make any sense to the girl, leaving Raizo with no choice but to entertain Takuma with a duel.
After the fight kicked into high gear, the poor girl had ran off to try and find Ryo Sakazaki, hoping beyond hope that maybe he could get through to his father and resolve the entire situation. But... by the time she and he got back to the archery range, the fight was over and the only sign of Raizo or Takuma was the destruction their battle had wrought upon the area. Sighing, Hotaru gave up for the evening, determined to try again the next day.
But now she's suffering through a menace /almost/ as bad as Kirishima himself, trigonometry. That is, of course, until the phone on the teacher's desk rings, pausing the lecture long enough for the instructor to answer it. "Miss Futaba," calls out the woman, peering at the pig-tailed girl over horn-rimmed, thick glasses, "You are to report to the front office. Immediately."
Oh bother... what /now/? Walking down the long hall back to the main administration hub, Hotaru tries to figure out what she might be getting in trouble for this time. While hardly a rabble-rouser, she does have the reputation of being a bit more aggressive than a lot of the prissy, passive girls at Seiyjun, which has lead her to being provoked into the occasional, well, 'skirmish' on campus for which she has gotten in trouble a couple of times. But besides fending off the mini-badminton player a couple days ago, which happened when the campus was nearly empty anyway, she can't imagine what she would be lined up to be scolded for /this time/.
Dragging herself to the receptionist's desk in the front, Hotaru's shoulders slouch a little as she looks to the woman behind the counter. "My name is Hotaru Futaba and I-"
"Yes, my dear, I know," comes the woman's reply. The girl has had enough trips to the front office to be recognized by name now, unfortunately.
On the far side of the door to the principle's office, there is a voice. It is quiet, subdued and polite, but perhaps a little ominously familiar to Hotaru's young ears...
"Thank you again, Miss... ... Yes, I understand."
...
"Yes, I know. I would not come here unless it were a dire situation, you know that. As I've told you, the situation is dire."
...
"...yes, of course. That's what I am hoping we can prevent. I apologize for having to call one of your young ladies out of class. I'll--"
...
"...Understood."
A few seconds later, the door to the office swings open, and out stomps THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN AAAAAAAAAAH
Wait, no, it's Raizo Imawano. That may or may not be worse, from Hotaru's perspective. The giant of a man is dressed professionally, which on his frame only serves to make him look even weirder than he already does - a nice brown suit, that purple vest-overcoat that signals him as Justice High School's principle...a white shirt, a red tie. His usual affair, but to someone unaccustomed to the enormity of the man, it may prove somewhat odd. Just the same, the old man grins down at Hotaru as he sees her, saying, "Miss Futaba. Sorry about yesterday."
Getting into Seijyun High is a pretty difficult feat if one is not a student or staff. Parents who pay the exorbitant tuitions to send their girls here are forking over a lot of money to have their daughters protected from random BearMan attacks after all and it's in the school's best interest to enforce extremely protective protocols. But when it comes to the distinguished founder of another prestigious High School, it's no surprise that he was able to get inside. Even if it might require a fair amount of verbal kowtowing to the formidably strict principal of Seijyun to do it.
"Wait right here," remarks the receptionist as Hotaru blinks toward the closed office door. Is that... It IS! When Raizo steps out, the vastly diminutive by comparison student's eyes widen with some surprise as she swallows nervously, feeling a little bit like she did when she first approached him the day before. "Principal Imawano!" Hotaru gasps, bowing repeatedly toward him, hands clasped together in front of her, pig-tails flopping over her shoulders at the repeated gesture. "I deeply apologize for the behavior of my honored sensei, Master Takuma Sakazaki," she exclaims in a hurry between bows.
The receptionist, an older woman with greying hair tied up in a bun simply grunts and shakes her head. "... honored... feh!" Okay, so Takuma's reputation might be getting around a bit. But other than that, the woman looks to be staying busy with whatever paperwork is covering her desk.
Hotaru takes cautious steps forward toward Raizo, "I don't know if my being there was why he showed up. To be honest, he can be rather difficult to understand at times. But if I had anything to do with his disruptive behavior or any damages he might have caused, I humbly pledge my volunteer hours for the rest of summer to helping repair the damage!" She bows again, making that probably the sixth or seventh time.
Raizo watches Hotaru for a few moments. Since they're still on casual subjects, he feels no particular need to be subtle or secretive, and so laughs a little at Hotaru's eagerness to apologize for the whackjob who sired her teacher. He doesn't stop her from bowing, because it's simultaneously adorable and hilarious. "It's quite alright, Miss Futaba," he says. "--or would you rather I call you Hotaru? In any case, I suspect your honored master's visit has more to do with me than you. That man and Saishu Kusanagi are up to something, I think, if only I could figure out what. Don't worry about it."
He grins, and adds, "On the other hand, I'm never one to turn down free labor, so if you do want to help with the repair work, I'll be happy to make those arrangements. It's important, hard work. Builds character."
He begins striding toward the hallway door, because he can feel the principle killing him with her mind every time he opens his mouth. "How have you been? They were kind enough to give us a conference room nearby where we can talk, so let's walk."
Though she nods at having her committment to the service hours accepted the girl sighs on the inside. Yet another project of reparations that she's gotten sucked into because of the eccentric elder Sakazaki. Raizo's right, it builds character, and this summer the girl has had a lot of character building opportunities. "Yes!" she chirps in cheerful aggreement while mentally picturing the dreadful cleanup project she's gotten herself into. The sight of the place when she returned with Ryo in tow wasn't pretty in the slightest.
As he begins to lead the way to the conference room, Hotaru falls in line, "I've been all right," she answers neutrally. After all, it's mid-afternoon on a school day. It's not like she would lie and say she's feeling great! What student ever would? "And Principal Imawano may address me in whatever manner suits him best," she adds after another moment of thought. While young Futaba doesn't take a lot of flack from her peers, she's the very epitome of deference when it comes to authority figures, following strict practices as taught to her by her austere father years ago.
Hands clasp behind her back as she keeps pace with the almost monstrous administrator. Though she quietly realizes that the more time she spends around him the less frightening he becomes. In that way he is almost similar to Takuma, but she would never point that out. Even to this day disturbing the patriarch of the Sakazaki clan is something she only very sparingly does. One never knows what might set him off, after all.
"You don't have to if you don't want to," Raizo notes, with a chuckle, as soon as they are out of the range of the Seijyun Principle's murder rays. "It could be a good opportunity, but I'd rather you spend your time doing something you want to do, than something you feel you have to do. An unwilling student is rarely a good one." He gives that grandfatherly grin, which looks a little odd on his bizarrely-structured face. "Take your time and think about it, at least. Perhaps the course of this conversation will decide something for you."
He laughs a little, too, at Hotaru's deference, and says, "Well then, I suppose I will call you Hotaru until Takuma breaks down a window to snap my neck. Good to hear you've been passable, at least."
He keeps moving, pulling a scrap of paper out from his jacket pocket, squinting at it. "Should be almost there..." the old giant says, before looking back behind him. "Ah. There it is." He turns around, going to a door the duo passed moments ago. "Your esteemed principle has allowed me the opportunity to speak with you privately in here, Hotaru. I trust you don't mind this little interruption?"
He gives a sly grin, because although he is a principle he knows perfectly well that students will jump over buildings if it means they get to skip class.
As he offers to let her off the hook from keeping to her committment to help clean up Takuma's mess, Hotaru shakes her head, smiling a little now at the generous patience the Justice High founder demonstrates. "No, no. I gave my word that I would help and I will." she insists. Maybe she can even put her rudimentary construction skills to work as part of the project... skills recently taught by Ryo Sakazaki himself as he guided Hotaru in building her own bedroom at the Kyokugen Dojo recently. Besides, it will be a good excuse to spend more time on the Justice High campus, perhaps providing an opportunity to look into more of the mysterious things going on there as a result of Kurow's machinations...
"Nn," she grins a little as he decides to call her Hotaru, 'Firefly.' When he picks out the room that they've been lent, Hotaru follows him to the door, pausing only as he does. If there's any reluctance on her part to spend this time talking with him in private there's no visible indication of it. "No, not at all," she assures him, her tone somber now. She believes she knows the purpose of his visit now after all. And it isn't to seek reparations for Takuma Sakazaki's battle-caused damages. "Thanks for coming all the way over here to see me." She glances up and down the hall, eyes coming to rest on a couple of frilly-dressed girls a little ways off that seem to be paying some attention to the Principal and student. The girl frowns faintly, wondering if they're just looking for juicy gossip to spread or if they happen to be others convinced that Kurow Kirishima is the best hope for Japan's future. Turning back toward Raizo, she's eager to follow him into the conference room to get out of sight of any other potential prying eyes.
Raizo believes in honoring his students (and those of others), but he also thinks it's important to have a working relationship with people you may end up working alongside to beat up evil mind control ninja assassins.
Thusly, he nods to acknowledge Hotaru's acceptance, grinning a little himself; Raizo tries his best to be an amiable individual when he is not putting troublemakers' heads through walls. His eyes dart down the hall, alighting on someone slightly past the girls Hotaru noticed - completely unremarkable, completely...
He grunts. "Don't get paranoid..." he mutters, to himself, and then leads Hotaru inside. Looking down at her, he gives her a grandfatherly smile, and says, "I'm happy to come, Hotaru. This is very important business. I'm only glad I caught up to you so quickly."
He waits until she is inside, and then closes the door. He doens't go to a seat immediately - instead waiting, silently, sharp ears attuned for the sounds of eavesdroppers.
She overhears the remark to himself about not getting paranoid, though is unsure if the calming words are for her ears. All the same, as he closes the door behind them, the girl feels a certain sense of security, watching how the older man listens carefully for signs of being eavesdropped. The way he moves... and the fact that he fought Takuma last night and is looking no worse for the wear today... suggests to her that the other rumors she's heard about Raizo's fighting capabilities are founded on fact. She's still undecided about the ones that pertain to how many students he eats in a typical lunch.
She takes a seat in one of the comfortable chairs. The room is often used for Parent-Teacher conferences, so there's a couple comfortable seats to go around. His smile for her is becoming increasingly endearing the more often she sees it, the perceptive girl starting to see through the rough, grizzled exterior to the man beneath.
"I'm glad to have the chance to share everything I know about Kurow Kirishima. I hope it will be of some help to you, Principal Imawano."
Raizo tries his hardest to project an aura of approachability, and for a man the size of a house, succeeds with surprising regularity. It is no coincidence that Raizo built Justice High using nothing but charisma and a little bit of business acumen. Still, when he turns away from the door, Raizo's face is more serious. Not tired, just...sober. He steps over to the sturdiest chair he can find, and carefully sits down - not setting his full weight upon it until he's sure it won't just pop under the strain of his nearly 300 pounds.
"I hpoe so as well, Hotaru," Raizo says quietly, folding his hands in his lap. The razor-edged nails are still there, although with the way he carries himself - careful not to brandish them too obviously - it's almost hard to see them. "Kurow's a dangerous young man. The more you can tell me - and the more I can tell you - the better off we'll both be."
He screws up his face, thoughtfully. "Would you like to speak first? I can, if you'd rather." He gives that smirk again, quipping, "I can hardly blame you for having a hard time trusting an old man who looks like he stepped off the set of Tarzan."
Her own life entirely bereft of loving attentions from dotting grandparents, Hotaru tends to be quick to fill in the glaring vacancies in her childhood with any adult that seems to fit the bill. Thus it is that she takes so easily to a man like Raizo who, in spite his appearance, seems to be a gentle beast at heart. As he moves to sit down opposite of her, the girl balks a little as the seat strains, but it appears he's an expert at dealing with furniture designed for lighter frames and the chair holds sturdy.
When he asks if she would like to go first or if she would like to hear what he had to share first, Hotaru pauses. But then he shares his little joke and the girl's eyes widen... not from surprise, shock, or worry, but because she's trying to stifle a laugh that she feels entirely unable to contain. It would seem Raizo is all /too/ familiar with the rumors that students spread about him at the schools, and poking fun at them only makes him seem even more approachable. In the end, she settles with lifting her hand from her lap to place over her mouth, leaning forward a little as she allows herself the demure, shy laugh that she had no hope of containing for long.
The moment of humor is brief though and she lowers her hand quickly, cheeks blushing just faintly as she realizes her reaction is only proof of the mean things kids say about Raizo, and the more she learns of the impressive man the more she feels guilty for having given said rumors any credence. "If you don't mind going first, Principal Imawano."
The massive beast of a man grins, allowing himself a chortle at Hotaru's mirth. That's good, he thinks; it will means he's more approachable, and the message will get across more easily. Raizo has words to convey today; Hotaru being afraid of him will not help. It's amusing to him; he is quite enormous, after all, and he does look rather distinctly ursine, and there is the whole matter of...
The rememberance fails as Raizo returns his focus to the present, his easy grin faltering some. "Alright," he says, and then takes a deep breath, recalling.
"In the early feudal period of Japan's history, a clan of ninja arose, dedicated to the destruction of evil in all its forms. In so doing, they crushed and subjugated another clan, to serve as servitors and expendable footsoldiers in the fight." He sits up straighter, hands going to his knees. "They went underground, affecting Japan's development from the shadows, and all the while developing twin arts of martial arts and mind control. This is how it remained for centuries, until....when was it? 90? Or so, I suppose - about seventeen years ago, when there were two successors to the school. One believed that the path to destroying evil lay in educating the next generation to reject it. The other believed...like the rest of the clan, that evil could only be destroyed by destroying that which causes people to tolerate it. Things like love, and kindness. The former left, believing his goals could not be achieved with the tainted mindset of his clan, while the other, his brother..."
He grimaces, remembering old, bad memories, and wounds that will never fully heal. "...became leader of the Imawano Ninjas."
He stops, for a moment, giving Hotaru a few minutes to deduce. He wonders if he needs to tell her about the incident with Hyo. Has it already passed out of the collective memory of Southtown? He hopes not - those were dark days.
When he begins speaking all signs of amusement have quickly faded from the girl's expression. When it comes to paying attention to something that's actually important, her attention span is nothing like it was back in the math class she's being able to skip now. She's sat kneeling through almost impossibly long, rambling stories from Takuma before without so much as shuffling her legs or missing a beat in Sakazaki's tales of adventure from his daring, carefree days (I.e., last week).
She's paying very close attention, following every detail and considering it, her sapphire blue eyes focused on his bearded visage as he speaks. Imawano ninjas. A man who wished to enlighten via education... It's clear when it clicks in her mind, the spark in her eyes as she makes the connection. "The one who left... that was you, Principal Imawano..." Her hands tighten on her knees as she considers the history of this great man, feeling a certain quiet awe, a sense of inspiration at what he gave up to pursue the greater good.
Of Hyo she knows some but not all, the years his brainwashed condition culminated were a trying time for the girl dealing with a recently vanished father, brother, and deceased mother.
"Yes," Raizo says, nodding. He smiles, a little - pleased, although that wasn't exactly the most difficult deduction to make. "Yes, that man was I. The other man was my brother. Mugen." He says the name like it's diseased. "He believed that kindness, friendship, love and laughter, were only weaknesses that caused humans to allow evil to persist. And he taught that doctrine not just to the clan...but to his favored son, Hyo Imawano. Hyo came to Southtown...some years ago, now, I don't even quite recall. He beat me, brainwashed me and my staff...and nearly took over Southtown, with Justice High as his base. He was defeated, and his father's brainwashing removed, by...everyone in Southtown, pretty much." He laughs at this...but then, quietly, the twinkle in his eyes fades, and his face grows drawn and sober.
"Which I can only assume is why whatever remains of the Imawano have sent Kurow Kirishima. They were the other clan, Hotaru. The Kirishima are the subjects of the Imawano - used as disposable weapons."
Hotaru is quiet as he continues, absorbing the rest of the tale thoughtfully. His words about Hyo and his own rumored history fill in some of the gaps in her mind about how Justice High factored into the Imawano's attempted take over of Southtown a few years back. She was merely a teen at the time, so hearing about the events again from someone so closely involved in what played out helps ground the whole affair in her mind.
When he mentions that the other clan has possibly sent Kurow Kirishima to finish a job that has yet to be completed, she tenses up, pieces falling into place that help explain so much more about the mysterious prodigy fighter. "He's gloated of his own plans to me before," the girl comments quietly, careful not to speak over Raizo at any point. "In Thailand. He surely thought he would be able to deal with me at the time, so he got careless with his words. That was the first time I realized something was horribly wrong with him. That was the first time I learned of his flute, and of the techniques of mental manipulation he weilds. If he was sent by someone it almost feels like he believes himself to be acting according to his own will now." She falls quiet then, not wanting to cut off the older man's account of events if he isn't done catching her up to date. Still, she puzzles quietly. For all the times Kurow talked of having the power to enforce his own will... it seems interesting that he hails from a clain that was subject to another.
Raizo frowns, deeply.
"The problem is that he's probably been trained to /not/ be able to," he says, slowly, thoughtfully. "A Kirishima on a mission like Kurow's - and I can think of several objectives he might have - would be given dangerous secrets and dangerous techniques, then sent out with the expectation that whether he succeeded or failed, he'd be--"
He stops, his eyes suddenly focusing deeply on Hotaru. "Flute. Flute," he mumbles, and then says, "He uses a flute? I'm sorry, I...there is a great deal about the boy I don't know, for all that I do. A flute..."
The thought seems to trouble him. He brings a hand up, stroking at his rather short beard. Could Mugen have possibly...??
"It is a tool he uses with his mind controlling," Hotaru offers when Raizo pauses. "He intended to use it on me the first time I learned all about his ambitions on a beach in Thailand." The girl sounds sensitive about this subject, the discussion veering into areas that are frightening to recall in detail.
"But I broke it," she adds, a faint smile of triumph crossing her lips for just a moment. "He somehow uses the music from it to manipulate others. I know that's what he did with Sakura Kasugano and Akira Kazama for example. Maybe many more than them."
Hotaru stays quiet about her own exposure to the flute, when Kurow had her trapped in a prison cell in the heart of that wartorn country. Certain details seem best kept to herself for now. After all, if she admitted to being exposed to his manipulations, wouldn't that make her potentially suspect in the eyes of others?
"He told me he wants to rule Japan then. That he was helping Shadaloo because he believed Lord Vega would put him on that path. That he had been promised this country once Vega had conquored the world." She sounds vaguely sickened by the account - Kurow's treachery to this country was a hard thing to swallow. The cold, callus way he described his path to glory and eventual rule...
"I... I think there are others here, in the schools, that answer to Kurow. I met one just the other day."
"Flute," Raizo mutters, leaning back, his eyes closing with a sudden great weight. "Those.../maniacs/...Teaching a child those techniques...of course. They wouldn't be above such villainy. They never were."
Raizo slowly opens his eyes, giving Hotaru a look that betrays some of his age, and the stress that goes with a life like his - he seems tired, and for an instant, perhaps, overstrained. He works very hard - including working very hard not to let anyone in on how hard he's working. "The flute techniques are some of the most elite in the Imawano brainwashing techniques. Hyo was hand taught by his own father to take over the world, and not even he was taught to use the flute techniques...That Kurow knows those abilities makes him far, far more dangerous than I ever feared. Whoever sent him..."
He brings a hand up, rubbing at the bridge of his vast nose, and somehow not cutting out his eyes. "I'm sorry. An old man should never burden a young woman with troubles like these," he murmurs. "And...I'm sorry, but I must ask, so I know." He looks up, some level of that keenness he exhibited earlier in those crimson eyes. "Did he use the flute on you successfully at any time?" After a second, he thinks to add, "I know it must be painful...but if there's that chance, if I'm to trust you, I have to know, Miss Futaba. You can just answer yes or no, if you like."
As weary as he may look, having someone else to finally share all of the things she knows with is a great relief. That someone else feels as miserable about the whole affair as she does only helps the girl know that she isn't alone. She had no idea how serious the techniques Kurow knew were. How far those who sent him were willing to go to succeed in their objective, what depraved methods they would employ, without remorse, without reservation.
But then comes the question. He may have suspected the answer before even asking. There's a way Hotaru spoke of the flute - a certain dread that suggests that her exposure to it was more than merely tangental. The time it takes to answer is already an answer in and of itself as those young, blue eyes lock on his face, knowing full well that even were she to try and lie /he/ would know.
"H- he did, yes," comes the reluctant admission, her hands clasped together tightly in her lap now, knuckles turning a bit white - a color to match the shift in her complexion. But he needs to know more, she decides, if he is to be able to judge for himself what cautions he may or may not have to take with regards to her.
"I was captured at one point, held in a prison somewhere, locked up for days. It was there that I- he-" She swallows, breaking eye contact to stare at the floor, "He did something to make me forget all I knew about him. And it worked for a long time. For weeks after I came back from that country, I thought he was just a nice, if a little odd, student of Justice High. He even visited me at times during that time period, pretending to be my friend. I've... I've come to remember everything that he made me forget though since then, however. And that is what brought me to you."
Raizo watches Hotaru's reaction to this, and he nods, slowly, thinking. "Thank you for telling me that, Hotaru. I believe you." He settles back in the chair, hand going back to stroke at his broad chin and beard. "You're lucky to be able to recover." That grin, serious and approving. "You're a strong girl. I think we can work together."
He emits a puff, having to work a little to get his girth sitting upright in the chair as he thinks once more. "The danger of Kurow is this, Hotaru," the last Imawano master says. "He has been trained since he could walk to either kill or brainwash myself and probably every fighter in Southtown that could be a threat. But that's all he is -- that single mission, that one task. He has knowledge of techniques that would let him completely undermine any family, society, government or civilization, if he placed himself correctly. When he fails," Raizo doesn't even discuss the possibility of what happens if Kurow wins - it's a dark scenario, and one he doesn't want to burden a young woman like Hotaru with, "he will...well, what will happen to him will depend on a few factors. He may psychologically implode within the next few years. Honestly...cruel though it may be, I prefer that scenario."
His eyes burn with worry. "The other scenario is that Kurow Kirishima gains the guidance, council, and leadership of one of the numerous other megalomaniacs roaming our world. He is already in cahoots with Shadaloo...an organization I know precious little about. And I fear he has caught the eye of Rugal Bernstein, as well...again, a man who is a mystery to me. It may be too late to stop him from becoming a weapon more dangerous than any of these organizations even know they have their hands on..."
"Thank you," comes the shy blush at the compliment. Being accepted as an ally by a man with his impressive background is flattering to the student seated across from him. The exchange of information has provided new revelations for both the older ninja and the younger fighter. She can tell him the things Kurow has done in recent months - the goals he claimed to have, the ambitions, the treachery. He can tell her where Kirishima comes from, who might have sent him and why, and the depths the boy will go to accomplish his task.
The ambition of an entire clan has been poured into Kurow whether the boy knows it or not. Then Raizo begins to describe what might happen to him should his mission not go as planned and Hotaru falls quiet again. When it comes to the schemes of world powers and psychotic, power hungery tyrants she is unable to add anything to what he knows, however, and thus remains quiet, offering merely a quiet, faint smile of support as the principal muses.
"He allied himself with Shadaloo because he thought it might be a shortcut to what he wanted. But now they have been pushed back, their occupation of Thailand a failure, and he's come back since then. I imagine his goals haven't changed, but his methods will have to out of necessity." Hotaru frowns a little as she follows through with her thought. "What do you think he might do next?" she asks, hoping he might have a better idea with his background.
"And..." The next question is a bit more pointed, "Well, it's no secret that he aided Shadaloo and that he played a role in what happened to Sakura and Akira and maybe others... so why can't he just be locked away for crimes already committed?" Oh, poor naive girl, if only the world was that simple.
"Yes," the giant of an administrator replies simply, folding his hands again. "That seems about the size of it. I'm not sure how much his methods will change...we'll have to see how much of his power base was eroded by the retreat of Shadaloo, and the failure at Thailand." He taps a great finger, the nail somehow failing to draw blood on his old, enormous hands. "A lot of the problem in dealing with him at the moment is in our lack of information.../my/ lack, perhaps. In any case, most likely, for now, he'll go back into a holding pattern...working under the radar, as he has for years. It's to our benefit, I suspect...whether or not he knows I'm back and keeping an eye on him now, he'll have to be more circumspect, and that means he can only affect so many people, even with his mind control abilities. We have...time." He spreads his hands, apologetically. "I don't know how much."
And then Hotaru asks what seems like an extremely reasonable question, to which Raizo replies, "If the authorities come to Justice High School for Kurow, I will personally show them to his dormitory." He doubts they will - corruption is rampant in the police, he knows that...even if not just /how/ rampant. "But until that time, Hotaru, revealing to Kurow the extent of our knowledge, and forcing his hand, is decidedly not in our interests. I have only the outline of a countermeasure against him...whereas he almost certainly has a fully-formed plan for destroying this entire city, if it suits him. Until we are prepared to deal with his plans, it's in our interest to let him stay on...and keep an eye on him. In the worst case, and we managed to defeat him and his plans, it's possible my old clan will simply burn down Justice High...or perhaps, all of Southtown."
He shakes his head. "I don't want to risk that. Not until we have both the people and the knowledge we would need to prevent it. Keeping him at Justice, under surveilance, may have an unfortunate price..." In terms of people who die, or just as bad, have their minds twisted, temporarily or even permanently...Raizo's eyes close, slowly, already in mourning for those poor souls, "...but in the end, could be the only way we will be able to stop him."
As the magnitude of the problem is explained, Hotaru remains quiet, letting Raizo's answers sink in, trying to absorb the magnitude of the problem that they're dealing with. What she thought was one boy acting alone at first became a boy and a few students when she was attacked the other afternoon. And now, with what Raizo has shared, it's even more than that? A war of clans going back generations; deep plots, machinations of people she's never heard of laying foundations for the fall of one empire and the rise of another.
It's a lot to take in and the girl is quiet for a long while, nodding in acknowledgement to show that she understands the prudent principal's words clearly. "Okay," she replies, sounding disappointed at first, but the expression fades, replaced by a modicum of relief, "I'm glad I talked to you first about all of this. I might have made things worse otherwise," she comments, one hand going to rest behind the back of her neck as she sheepishly contemplates how she might be getting in way over her head with all this.
"What should happen next? Maybe the important thing would be to find out who else he has gotten to... or who is answering to him. There was a small girl that accosted me last week. She was dressed like she belonged at Seijyun but I don't think she was actually a student here. You might have better ideas about how to find out such things," the girl admits with a hopeful look. After all. Ninja.
Raizo nods, grimly, as he bears witness to his words crushing Hotaru's plans. He smiles, a small, tolerant look at first, but as Hotaru asks her next question, it grows into a bigger, more mischievous grin.
"Hastle him," he explains. "Hastle all of them. Find out what we can, of course...but you'd be surprised what an overconfident warrior will say when he thinks he's got you on the ropes." Or perhaps she won't? That might have bad memories attached -- oops. "I'm working, for now, on--"
He stops, stands, walks over to the door and listens again. This is the part Kurow /can't/ know about, after all. He slowly opens the door enough to discourage any gossips or Kurows from being at the door any longer, and then shuts it again.
"Precaution," he says, then walks back over. "For the moment I'm gathering information and allies. If this is..." He crosses his arms, because he's standing up now and can do so, tapping his side thoughtfully. "If you feel you are in over your head, Hotaru, I understand...but I get the feeling you'll want to see this through. If you can help me with this, we'll both benefit. My current plan is to get as much help and intelligence as I can, so I can form a proper plan. In the meanwhile..."
A shrug, which looks downright comical with the way his body is built - no neck, slouched back. "Beat him up. Beat his cronies up. You're training with the Sakazakis, right? The more time they spend in their respective nurse's offices, the less time they are spending together. If you see him on campus, throw a watermelon at him!" He grins a little. "We have a lot of underhanded work to be doing, Hotaru, but the usual methods of people like me -- and you, I should assume, given your master -- still apply."
Yes, Hotaru was just encouraged by the principle of Justice High to randomly accost suspicious people in the streets.
Seijyun's principle is probably, he decides, going to kill him.
As Raizo gets up, Hotaru remains seated, watching him check for any sign of being overheard. Definitely a cautious man, it's good to have someone like Raizo to confide in - the Justice High principal inspiring a sense of confidence and security in the girl; a trusty guard-bear intent on keeping the meanie Kurow cohorts at bay.
"Y-yeah," Hotaru replies as he identifies her training with the Sakazaki's making her perfectly qualified to harass and beat up any cronies she might find out about. She has her mind set on trying to identify the mini-badminton player first. Given enough time to look over the photos of the student bodies of each of the Southtown High Schools, she's sure she'll be able to pick her out eventually.
"I can do that," Hotaru asserts, "I want to see this through. Problems like this don't go away on their own, and he should be held accountable... Or at the very least, stopped." She's somber now, but at least she's not alone in this. "I'll let you know whatever I find out," she adds, slipping out of her chair to get to her feet, sensing that there isn't much more either has to add to their plans now.
Raizo is an old warrior, dealing with the tricks of an old enemy. In a way, he is the best ally to possibly have - unless Kurow gets that flute in his face.
Raizo failed to resist Hyo's techniques, last time. He can only pray he will prove stronger, this time.
Giving only minimal outward sign of this worry, Raizo nods, grinning a little. "Good. We need to stick together...this will take a lot of people to stop, whatever madness that boy has planned."
He pauses, for a moment, and then says, slowly, "Hotaru...if something should happen, and I can't help..." A pause - he ponders exactly how much he CAN tell her, now, but knows fully well he can't just leave it at this, can't just let the girl run off with so little information--
"If I am incapacitated, or can't help somehow, my nephews, Hyo and Kyosuke, should be able to help. Hayato Nekketsu, the PE teacher over at Taiyo, may be able to lend a hand, as well. I'll let him know I've spoken with you. I'm going to be trying to speak with some of...the others who've been hurt by Kurow, as well, soon. If you have any advice on getting in touch with Sakura Kasugano, I think she should be able to help, as well." He wonders how much information the Kasugano girl will have that Hotaru didn't. Only one way to find out...
The thought of something happening to the venerable bearded ninja isn't a pleasant one for the girl to consider. But, like a true warrior, he is preparing her for scenarios she may end up having to face. Knowing who else to turn to will be of utmost importance if the worst should happen. Hyo she nods, making a note, the swordsman having already been brought up once in their conversation. Kyosuke, on the other hand, was a surprise. She knows him only from his occasional televised fight appearances.
"Okay," she remarks. As Hayato-sensei is mentioned, Hotaru's smile warms a little. "I know him. Knowing he can be turned to is... well, it's just good to know." Now she has a whole list of people she can rely on if needed. Going to Raizo was a gamble in her mind at first, but it's paid off incredibly well.
"I can help you get in touch with Sakura. I have the phone number for her parents' home. Though I'm not sure that she lives there anymore, it would be an easy place to start. Once I find out for sure, I can get that information to you..." She sounds a little reluctant though, breaking eye contact for a moment now that Sakura has come up. After all, the things Kurow made that girl do... the atrocities she watched happen while in the thrall of Shadaloo... Hotaru isn't sure she wants to have all of that brought fresh to the forefront for the girl she's always respected so much. "I'm not sure how easy it will be for her to talk about it," she admits, hands clasped together in front of her now. "She was under his control the longest I think."
"I doubt it will be easy at all," Raizo rumbles. "Memories like those..."
He shakes his head. "...are exactly what we need, but also exactly the kind of thing any sane person would want to forget. If she can help, if she /will/ help, than we will be very well off indeed, I suspect. If she refuses..."
The old man puffs a sigh, straightening and setting his hansd at his side. "If she refuses, I will carry on as I would otherwise. I can hardly blame her, for wishing to put such events behind her." It'd be a gigantic pain in his posterior, but...he would understand completely.
"If you would help me get in touch with her, it would make my life easier. But...I won't ask you to help me locate her if you think it'd hurt your friend, Hotaru." His eyes are serious. "I will try to locate her myself, either way. I'm sorry. The information that young woman may have may prove essential."
It seems the conundrum gives the student a long moment's pause, eyes locking on Raizo's before her gaze averts to the side, one hand coming up to rest lightly against the side of her cheek. "I know Sakura will want to help in any way possible. It... it wouldn't be fair for me to not do whatever is possible to give her that chance."
The girl exhales a little, but her mind is made up and she looks back into the grizzled face of the veteran ninja. "I'll make sure that the contact information I have is up to date, or get her current number if it isn't, and then make sure to get it to you. I know what you're asking me to do is for the best for everyone. And Sakura would want that too."
Her hands unclasp from in front of her in order to clasp behind her back. It seems like fighting these battles is a lot more complicated than she had anticipated. But now that she's started along this path she can't turn away now. "Is it okay if I tell Ryo-sensei everything you told me?" the girl asks. Having her Kyokugen mentor aboard would be a good idea in her mind.
The old man doesn't interrupt Hotaru's thought process, merely crossing his arms, watching expectantly, a neutral expression on his face. When she does make her choice, he nods, smiling just a little. This is an ugly situation, and someone will get hurt no matter what happens. But the more he knows, the more they all know, the better they can stymie Kurow's schemes. "Alright," he says. "You know where to find me, when you have something."
He pauses, thoughtfully. "I'm sorry to drag you into all this, Hotaru. I wish none of this had happened, but...it has, and now we must deal with it. I have faith in your abilities, and those of your friends." Hopefully it doesn't prove to be all too much for the poor girl.
At Hotaru's last comment, though, Raizo chuckles, quipping, "With my luck, the boy'll crash through the door in the next ten seconds and try to kick my fool head off! But if that doesn't happen..."
He stops, staring at the door expectantly for ten seconds.
He laughs, and satisfied his prophecy will not come true, says, "...of course you can."
It almost goes without saying that by now an expression of faith in the girl from the man with his kind of history goes a long way. Hotaru brightens up a little in spite the weighty matters she has to consider now that her eyes have been opened to the greater extent of the problems at hand.
She gives him a firm nod, determination in her eyes to stay stalwart. And when he turns to face the door she almost believes that he made that prediction based on some kind of miracle ninja-hearing ability that let him know that her honored instructor is bearing down rapidly on the room this very moment! But... when the door stays attached to its hinges and Raizo turns back to face her, Hotaru can't help but to smile wider, nodding a second time at his invitation that she let Ryo know all about what is going on.
"Thanks, Principal Imawano." she states respectfully, offering him a bow. A single one this time. As opposed to the frantic half-dozon she had done when she first saw that he had come to visit her here.
Principle Imawano watches Hotaru with a critical eye - monitoring her, making sure she doesn't just snap under the pressure right here. But she's bearing up. Excellent! His cunning ploy with the door fails to produce a challenger, which is something of a relief, and the old man smirks, pleased. Then Hotaru speaks again, and Raizo bobs his head at her, and provides - at last - a modest bow of his own, not as superior, but as colleague. And then he says, "You're welcome, Hotaru."
And with that, he spins on his (enormous) heels, and strides over to open the door - quickly, just to spite any gossips who might have gotten any bright ideas since the last time he checked. "Now," he says, over his shoulder, "I suppose I should get going back to Justice - and you should get to class, young lady. I've kept you out long enough. I look forward to hearing from you soon."
Log created on 23:02:07 08/13/2007 by Raizo, and last modified on 14:48:18 08/16/2007.