Description: Sakura... has a fan!? One who actually knows martial arts?! Wow, nifty! Also in this episode: Sakura doubles as a deliveryperson and medic!
Life has taken a whole host of turns for the more complicated lately, but life goes on.
While calamity and uncertainty have begun to make themselves comfortable in Kentou's world, he still has a day job and he still has daily training and neither of them can wait. But, this doesn't mean his thoughts are drifting while on-duty.
The kenpo apprentice turns on a familiar corner at the edge of Downtown, the last bundle of wrapped fish slung under his arm. The restaurant at the third door on the street, near the YFCC, is his last daily delivery. A bit late compared to his usual blazing time, mousy eyes distantly stare. Absently avoiding other pedestrians and parked cars in a pace more approaching a quick trot than a fast sprint.
Frei. Hotaru. Jiro. Mizuki. Kataki... A complicated situation. Normally the answers are so clear. Kentou is not a complicated thinker, most times.
This time, however, answers do not lie within his usual means. This has consigned the boy to the two things that are not within his core competence: Thinking and Waiting.
If only.. There was a way.. If only there was someone who could straighten Hotaru-sensei out..
That'd be fantastic, no doubt. But, as important as this issue may be to a certain kenpoist, it's of little to no consequence to most of Southtown -- even people who should, by all rights, be concerned.
Sakura Kasugano is one such person, and she'd just happened to be at the YFCC earlier in the day. No, she's not an official member or anything -- the whole act of 'membership' in any particular group is something she tries to avoid like the plague. She normally just shows up there to feel useful, really.
Hands stuffed into the pockets of a baggy midnight-blue hoodie, the tomboy looks both ways as she exits the building. Her white headband blows in the breeze as she takes a good, deep breath... as if she has a whole new lease on life. Her master and Kyo had fought in the YFCC the night previous, and, like any "big" fight her master gets into, it was quite an inspiration! She's still a little weak in the knees, really. So if she seems a little spaced-out, with glassed-over eyes and a vacant smile as she turns towards Kentou... well, that'd be why. Detached, she makes her way towards the dorms, which just happen to be in Kentou's direction -- so detached she might even run into him if he weren't paying attention.
What do you get when you mix two spaced-out fighters walking and trotting in the same direction?
*BOMP*
Unfortunately for Sakura's absentminded two-way inspection of foot traffic, the boy has a habit of stealthily racing beneath the shoulder level of the average pedestrians. The youth darts in between people and obstacles like some kind of sprightly mouse. All it takes is another somewhat short person he can't quiiite see, heading in a direction he does not predict and.. Wooph!
The youth impacts harmlessly off of that blue hoodie, staggering back a few steps as his thoughts are jolted out of their spiral of worry. The white package of fish flopping to the ground as the boy squeaks! "Ack! S..Sorry! I'm sorry! I.." The disoriented boy waves his hands before him placating during his deluge of apologies, until his chocolate eyes rest upon whom it is he ran into.
..... O_O .....
Of course he knows her. EVERYBODY who dreams of being a fighter and is under twenty knows -HER-. The Legend of Taiyo. King of Fighters Champion. Apprentice of Ryu himself. Possibly the most popular fighter in all of Japan. He vaguely knew that she's a local girl, but never in a million years did he think he'd actually meet -her-. He often figured she'd be jet-setting and going from venue to venue across the world, fighting in the most prestigious tournaments and hobnobbing with other people of incredible importance. A chance encounter like this.. Kentou did not ever expect.
But just in-case, he had prepared a line for just such an occasion! Mentally rehearsing over and over again should he ever meet someone of such significance to the sport he so loves! And in true, witty fashion.. Kentou promptly points at her and blurts out-
"..Buaaauuhhuaahhuuuu..." o_o
......Okay, soooo.. that line needs work..
If the boastful tomboy had any inkling of how tall the pedestal Kentou created for her really was, even she would be embarassed! As it is, well... she's simply rocked backwards from the impact, not quite bowled over, but forced to throw her arms out to either side, that much is true! "Ouch..." she mumbles, face contorting in pain. That hurt, and she's not about to make note of where that boy's shoulder collided with her.
Confronted with an apology like so, though, it's rude to really cry foul. It's clear the boy didn't mean it! "... mm, h... hey, it's cool, stuff happens, y'know? B'sides it was all me, I wasn't really payin' attention..." He's not the only one stammering! She's a trained martial artist, she of all people shouldn't be subject to the same kind of accidents other people are, right?
Normally when one dismisses an apology, though, there's some kind of response. Maybe a continued, and even renewed attempt to apologize despite the protest, or just some kind of shy dismissal... not just wide-eyed stammering. He was vocal enough -before-, so it's not dain bramage, right? Sakura's, in a word, confused! Raising an eyebrow, she offers a quirky smile, resting her hands on her knees as she looks down at the boy. "I, uh... didn't quite catch that!" Though her cheeks had stained a light pink from the initial collision, she seems to be returning to normal. She reaches her hand out to him, offering assistance: "Hey, looks like you dropped somethin, lemme help you with that..."
"...Auh duah.. ahhduuu..."
Yup, stiiiiiill workin on it. The shock over the chance encounter has only slightly dulled, thoughts still trying to coalesce into something intelligible. In the periphery of his comprehension, the boy begins to realize that his lips are only efforting raw jibberish. Thankfully the famous girl is as gracious as rumored to be!
As Sakura reaches out a hand, the boy's own hands wave in frantic dismissal! "Uah! Uah!" Eeeek! He doesn't want to be That Guy who wants to inconvenience the superstar on his own account! Even if.. He.. Sorta is ending up as That Guy.
Desperately, the boy tears his eyes off of her for just one moment. Hands immediately slapping his burning crimson cheeks a few times in a bid to snap himself out of it, fighting to regain a modicum of decorum while taking a deep breath.
Okay.. Okay..
"..S...Sssakura-sama.. P..Please you don't.. have to. I.. I got it! Aaah.." Immediately falling to his knees to gather up his bundle of fish and hug the package to his chest in the manner of a drowning man grabbing a life-saver.
Okay, Language! Okay! He's got this now.. ...O..Okay..
"..I.. Duah.. Its.. A..A.A.A.Aaan.. H..Honor to me..meet you, Saku..Sakura-sama.." The boy finally manages out that much at least! Even if she runs away from the weird boy, at least he can tell Hotaru-sempai he said that much! .... No matter how much she might laugh at him. ._.;;
Kasugano scratches her cheek. "... Man, I've met a lot of people in my time, but this is the first time I've heard cave-people speak!" That may have been a harsh, but Sakura feels -something- needs to be said... and there isn't a whole lot to go on!
Luckily, Kentou actually manages to speak an intelligible language after working out his own little crisis. ... Are his cheeks red? Sakura realizes -why- they're red once she hears the honorific added to her own name. ... Her -first- name, at that. Creeeeeepy. Gulping a breath of air as she rises back to her feet, Kasugano rubs the back of her neck, "Uh, no, really, =I'm= the one honored here! Just 'Sakura' is fine, though, I'm just some ordinary girl, okay?" She's had experience -- Kentou is actually =not= the creepiest fan she's encountered. ... Yet.
Glancing at the steady flow of people still milling about the area, Kasugano makes her way to a quieter niche between two buildings, just a few steps away. No sense in holding up traffic! "So I take it you're a fan, since you already know my name an' all... so what's yours?" She glances at the sky for a moment, doing a rough reckoning of the time of day... and figures she's got enough. All the time in the world, for a fan!
In fairness! It may be improperly familiar to call her by her first name, especially with such honorifics, as a celebrity known throughout the world the name 'Sakura' has almost become a sort of stage-name on its own merits. One of the rare occasions where given name supersedes family name. After all, they don't put the word Kasugano alone on the covers of cereal boxes!
That and.. Its not like the boy is actually thinking or anything. He just rediscovered language-skills, after all!
As Sakura carefully shuffles out of the middle of foot-traffic, Kentou slowly rotates in place to continually face her. The ambling river of pedestrians easily skirt around the boy as he hardly takes up much of the path, even if a few grouse that he's getting in the way at all. About then it dawns on him that she's still talking to him.. As in, stopping what she was doing to.. talk to him.
....He.. Did not predict this! What'll he do?? What'll he say?!
Kentou's wide eyes remain affixed upon her, vaulting forth a single step to enter the space as a passing man audibly grumbles behind him. The boy continues hugging his bundle of fish in the manner of a safety blanket as he visibly swallows.
"O..O..Ondori Kentou..." Immediately the boy regains part of his manners as his own name is spoken, instantly bowing at the waist and clapping his fist to palm, Shaolin style. .... Fish flopping to the ground yet again.
...He can only hope Mitsuoka-San at the Spring Rain Restaurant doesn't mind her bass a little on the tender side for tonight's Catch of the Day Filet. ._.;;
"..I..No.. I.. I am h..honored to.. to meet you!" Ordinary girl?! HA HA. One doesn't become a street fighting champion and stay 'ordinary'. :O But then, that fansite of her did say she likes to stay down-to-Earth and nice unlike some world warriors. ... But that site also had a picture gallery of her under-skirt shots in her NeoLeague fights too so he didn't pay those jerks too much credit. >.<
Sakura isn't fully convinced that she's 'famous' yet, though. Sure, she has had to take measures to keep the paparazzi at bay, but those are so tightly woven into her dya-to-day behavior that she's able to mostly forget about them. Really, she'd rather =not= be famous -- it makes it hard to go about one's life, at times!
Like when random people run into her and want to start conversations and such knowing that she's famous. If Sakura =really= minded that, though, she'd have just plain left him. As it is though, she wants to get to know her fans a little better. Even when they act a little off, she knows they've got good intentions. Well, she =assumes= they do.
"Oh, well then! The honor goes both ways, I guess!" Smiling and nodding, she confirms, "Ondori-san... then? Can I call you Kentou?" She seems to have no qualms about that since he's already on a first-name basis with =her=, anyway.
"But, uh... yeah..." she starts, glancing down at the fish. "Was that Shaolin? You gotta study lots more than television to get good at martial arts though. S'what people tell me, anyway, haha!" Though... as another moment passes, she taps her cheek in thought. "Come to think of it though, weren't you on TV yourself, once? I usually watch all the televised fights each week when I get some free time..."
The boy nearly protests as she uses his first name, if only because.. W..Well! He isn't really worth knowing. At least, not by someone like her.. Yet.
To be sure, one of his life-long goals is that, some day, people like her really will look upon him like a peer. That he can earn himself enough respect and reputation to dwell in such lofty echelons of high fighting circles. As yet, however, he'll openly admit he has not achieved such a goal. He has a looooong way to go before he's in Sakura's league, if he can ever manage such a sky-high goal.
After all.. Most don't.
However, the protest remains that, only near. The boy nods in acquiescence after a moment's hesitation, a nervous smile spreading between rosey cheeks.
As Sakura asks about his salute, the boy hastily nods. Yes.. Shaolin does share that particular gesture, although as she comments about learning it from television.. The boy seems aghast. Jaw dropping as he visibly pales, "I..Ah.. It..ah.. its.." Eeee, he can't correct her though! How can he prove that its genuinely his traditional family salute his Grandfather learned while studying in China? ... Other than just telling her so, that is. After all, stringing together complete sentences seems a little out of his grasp as yet.
And then... Sakura says -that-.
Oh God.. Oh God. She saw That Fight. The one time he was ever actually a part of the Saturday Night Fight program.. And she -remembers- it. All color immediately drains from his face, his hands wave furiously as he speaks perhaps a little too quickly, "OhnonononoNope!N..Never!"
Usually the boy doesn't lie. He tries not to, honesty is always the best policy! ...If it wasn't for the fact that he's deeply ashamed of that particular fight. ._.; The fight where he ran away in mid-SNF, the only time that's ever happened in the history of the program.
Humiliating is the mildest term to call it.
Kasugano's struck with curiosity yet again... as to what, exactly, happened to this kid's voice =this= time! She was only kidding about saying that he'd learned his skills from television, yet his hesitation shows, well, maybe that wasn't the case. Really, =Sakura= had become first interested in fighting due to television programs, it was just, uh... projection! Yeah...
... To be honest, Sakura doesn't =remember= any details aside from the boy's face -- and that could've been anyone, really! So when the boy denies it, Kasugano appears to take the statement at face value. "...Ah, okay! Sorry about that. Just figured I'd ask!" And, oddly, she =doesn't= seem to be sarcastic... so it's probably a sign she really has no idea of what's got the kid so embarassed!
Still, she notes with a scratch of her cheek, "Hey, uh, if I'm keepin you from somethin', I mean, I don't wanna get in the =way= or nothin'." Lacing her fingers together, she stretches her arms over her head. "I mean, you're probably busy! Me, I was just over at the youth center, watchin' the footage of Ryu and Kyo's fight last night -- did you see that? They were see-sawin' back an' forth all fight, it was like the best fight I'd ever seen an'..." At that point, Kasugano's cheeks turn a bit pink, as she's betrayed a bit of her =own= fangirl nature. "Hehe, it's great stuff, if you're into that sorta thing!" Clenching her fists once, she looks up at the sky, taking a deep breath of the, uh, 'interesting' scent of downtown air -- and yet she seems to enjoy it. "You ever get so fired up by watchin' a fight, you just gotta start one yourself?"
From most people, that might be considered a threat!
As Sakura seems to believe the youth's fabrication, the boy's jaw clamps tightly shut. A pang of regret jolts through him as his eyes half-narrow.
His Master's words echo through his mind from months ago. Do not lie, Kentou. Honorable fighters do not lie. She told him to never lie to his guardian ... or anyone.. ever again. Even if it seems like it might be the easier thing to do.
But this! ... Its..
...Does he want to be the sort've guy where the first time he ever met a highly honored, reputable fighter.. He lied to her?
The boy closes his eyes tightly, tensing all over as he blurts out, "That's.. That's actually.. That's not correct.. I.."
Swallowing as he managed that much out, Kentou's eyes slowly open back to the young champion as she tries to dismiss her own importance. Ha Haaa, as if this isn't the most important thing he's done all day! o.o
"...I.. I actually was.. I.. On TV.. once.." ._.; He may have corrected his lie, but he isn't going to elaborate on it!
However, about then the youth begins to realize Sakura's already talking about the fight last night at the youth center. Blinking a moment as he begins to recall.. Oh yeah! There was a fight here between Ryu and Kyo wasn't there? That -WAS- last night!
ARGH, and he missed it! ;.; "O..Oh man! Who won?!" Kentou's fists curl up to his chest, eager to know more of the details as he briefly forgets his place. Oh wow! He can't believe he missed that fight! He's had so much going on in his life lately, he's seriously.. seeeriously behind his SNF and NL league viewing. He has a bunch of DVDs he bought recently that's sitting in his room, still in their packaging. Between all his hardcore training and chores.. He's just never found time to sit around and watch that stuff like he used to. Even still.. Missing a fight between two of the greatest? IN TOWN No less? ARGH, he wants to slap himself. >.<
"Oh! Oh yeah! All the time! I see my Sensei fight sometimes and I toootally wish I can leap right into the ring, totally!" *_*
Oooh yes, Kentou is right there with her. After all.. Kentou may well be Sakura... 5 years ago. The boy is utterly obsessed about fighting.. As she found out, he knows every major world contender by name. The youth has a burning passion for the art, even if career within it has only begun to be realized. Unlike the extremely accomplished young lady standing across from him.
Kasugano hadn't even considered that the boy would actually -lie- to her... so when he backs up a bit and corrects the statement, she doesn't take offense. The kid's nervous, after all, and she can sympathize! "Oh, heh, I figured I'd recognized you from somewhere!" No harm, no foul!
As for the fight between Kyo and Ryu, well... "Heh, honestly they knocked each other down! Total draw match, it was the best fight I'd seen in a long time! It seemed like, everything Kyo did, Ryu had a way around, and vice-versa... but as the battle wore on, it's like... they both started takin' their tolls on each other, it was =crazy=. When everything caught up to 'em at the end, they were both down!" Sakura normally feels a bit bad about spoiling fights, but... he asked, didn't he?! Laughing, she folds her hands behind her head. "It was preeeeetty awesome, you should totally catch the fight when you get some time!"
But then he mentions... sensei? "... Hmm? Oh, you do have a sensei, cool! That's the best way to learn. So who's your sensei? If they're 'round here in town, I prolly know 'em..." It may be a bit weird for her to just stand around and gab with someone she's just met... but that's the kind of mood she's in. Her classmates wouldn't understand why she's so pumped up about the fight she'd seen, so Kentou's enthusiasm just makes him the perfect companion! ... At the moment, anyway...
Huh, telling the truth is a lot easier than Kentou thought it would be! The boy flinches as she exclaims that she remembers, however as the singular public fight he's been in goes unremarked.. Astonishingly, she must not remember precisely how it went! Either that, or she's gracious enough to keep the details of that less-than-epic battle unremarked.
Besides, as she immediately goes into the finer points of the interesting matchup the youth likewise forgets his own shame. His eyes widen a bit as he just tries to imagine the conflict unfolding as described. Trading blows and strategies against one another. Those two are unquestionably the greatest the sport has seen in recent years.. perhaps of all time. The incredible event of those two testing their strengths against one another.. It sparks the imagination. His hands grip into fists as he breathlessly listens to the words, "...Wow.."
Yes folks, that's all he can say. A breathless 'Wow'. Eyes glimmering as he eagerly nods to the suggestion, he's definitely going to be tracking down a copy of that fight and etching it into his mind! Strike for strike.
Ah-Hah! As Sakura queries about his mentor, now a bit of pride swells to the surface! A hearty smile plays on his lips as his shoulders square, "Futaba Hotaru!" The boy boasts! Not only does she know her.. She knows her quite -well- indeed. While Kentou is .. peripherally aware that the two young women know each other, he has no idea exactly how closely.
Kentou, however, is far.. faaaar from embarrassed to be speaking with Sakura. While the famous girl may be question why she's wasting such time with a total nobody, Kentou can only thank whatever lucky stars that shine upon him today that someone so popular and reputable is bothering to say more than two words to him!
Kasugano is pleased to find Kentou shares a kindred spirit, a taste for the subtle nuances of fighting that few people in the city truly do. He's a fan of the art, but not one who thinks they're a self-taught genius just because of meaningless statistics and trading cards that may be collected. No, the Ansatsuken disciple can sense that he actually has some idea of what he's talking about. ... Though how =good= the fighter is, is another story.
Though she was expecting to know the sensei, she figured he'd say 'Dan Hibiki' or 'Ryo Sakazaki'. Not Hotaru, someone she's known for quite some time. Blink, blink. "... Hotaru? Wow, small world!" Smiling broadly, she nods with approval. "Cool! Can't find much better senseis than that!" Well, unless one were to study Ansatsuken, of course, but Sakura's polite enough to refrain from suggesting that.
Adopting a stance similar to Hotaru's, for the simple need to keep her body in motion, she asks, "So how's your training with her coming along? Can you throw fireballs through your feet yet?" If only she knew...!
As Sakura complements the boy's choice in Master's, the boy couldn't possibly beam more proudly. His earlier hesitation and uncertainty completely eradicated as the youth is certain about one thing. Kentou is certainly proud to be Hotaru's apprentice, and he'll be proud about that to absolutely anyone. Even recent events in Hotaru's life does nothing to hamper his undying appreciation for her.
Of course, Kentou knows perfectly well that Sakura has some bias in the matter of Masters, her appreciation for the Ansatsuken Master is a thing of legend. To be sure, Kentou respects Ryu completely and has nothing but praise for the man's accomplishments and his aescetic lifestyle.
Upon a time, Kentou may have derided Karate as a less refined art than the original Chinese arts as interpreted through Japanese kenpo. However, it was Hotaru herself that enlightened him that no element of martial arts should be disrespected, and no style is more 'worthy' than another. And that.. is why Hotaru is the perfect Master for him, just as Ryu is the perfect master for Sakura. It isn't a question of strength, accomplishment or worthiness. Its a question of whom can open who's eyes to the truth.
As such, Kentou agrees with Sakura 100%, nodding with a gleam in his eye, "Absolutely. Aaabsolutely!" He could not be more proud.
As Sakura mimics Hotaru's stance by familiarity, Kentou can't supress a brief squeak in delight! She -is- perceptive, as any top fighter would be! The boy can't help but assume his own stance in turn, one that looks much similar to Hotaru's own now after months of rigorous routines and training. Although, certain elements of another style still exist in the fluid, mobile stance. Closed-fists, for instance.
"Its.. Its incredible! I've learned so much!" Leaving the stance as he simply starts hopping in place out of raw excitement, more than happy to gush about training with the esteemed Futaba-Sensei, "I'm not sure I even knew ANYTHING until I started training with her! I've even learned a whole bunch of her family techniques now as well!" He boasts!
As far as the 'fireballs' go.. The boy stops hopping about. Halting his merriment as his grin gains dimensions of nervousness, "I..Aaah.. eh-heh.. Um.. W..we're working on that.. um.." '_';; "I've.. She has me learning with a specialist on that stuff! Instructor Frei! He's.. He's really good too!" The boy quickly turns about to point toward the YFCC. While Kentou knows that Sakura is familiar with Hotaru, he's less certain about the Monk's notoriety.
Sakura smiles. Hotaru surely mentioned that she'd taken a student on, but the tomboy quickly forgot. There's so many fighters around that the Ansatsuken disciple only remembers someone once she's actually met them... which is how Kentou had stayed off her radar so long. But... the very subtle tells in his voice show that yes, Hotaru's teaching him well. It's... funny, really, how she and Hotaru both are 'students' and 'teachers', both at the same time...
Her attention flickers slightly, drawn back to Kentou as he speaks. He'd been manic... and now he's less so, talking a bit more nervously... and Sakura wonders what she'd said =this= time. Smile dimming, she nods slowly. "Frei's cool, he's a good teacher for chi an' stuff." She'd like to take credit for teaching Frei more about chi, of course, but she's starting to grow out of the phase where she has to boast about =everything=. Especially when it's not really true!
Still, she can stop from boasting, but this nervousness is weirding her out. "... So did I say something wrong? I'm not gonna beat you up or nothin', you can tell me." ... Sakura hasn't quite realized that those words might have the opposite effect...
The fact that Kentou isn't on Sakura's radar is hardly insulting! The boy isn't so arrogant to think the best fighters in the world would even begin to think about little people like him. Heck, the fact that Sakura even knows Hotaru is something of a miracle! The boy's estimation of Hotaru is without boundry but to be realistic.. Sakura is to Hotaru.. what Hotaru is to Kentou, in terms of fighting prestige. In fact, is Sakura even remembers his name five minutes after this conversation is over, he'll be flattered beyond belief!
It isn't that Kentou just has such a low self-opinion. Simply that, the boy knows that Southtown is filled with kids like him. He personally knows dozens of kids around town who told him they wish they could BE Sakura or Shingo. Sakura is an idol of thousands.. perhaps millions.. throughout the world.
Kentou? Well.. A few dozen people around Chinatown know who he is, and a few dozen more at the Youth Center.
As Sakura acknowledges Frei, the boy nods again quickly. Happy to hear that the King of Fighter's Champion heard of his other instructor as well, utterly unaware of the truth behind that relation. Although, as she question what's wrong.. Well, the boy sees no harm in admitting it. Folding his arms behind the small of his back as he taps the pavement with the tip of his Chinese slipper, "Oh..Ah.. I'm.. Ah.. I'm just kinda.. behind on my training with Chi is all.." It is a little embarrassing to him. So many kids barely a year or two older than him have mastered throwing around all kinds of Chi. Just look at those teens out of Gedo! They throw energy blasts around like they were out of comic books or something! It seems so easy its like anybody should be able to do it. Sakura probably can't even remember what it was like not being able to lob spheres of power around.
Kentou.. While very gifted in many ways.. Is just kind of a late bloomer in that area. *._.*
As far as beating up goes! Ha-hah. Its an outrageous stroke of luck that Sakura is even deigning to talk to him. FIGHTING with her would be like.. To Americans it would be like Michael Jordan offering to throw a couple hoops with a Basketball fanatic randomly out on the street. Some things you don't ask out of sheer politeness. Especially with Street Fighters, there's something of an unspoken creed.
One doesn't challenge a fighter unless one has the rep for it. Not unless the champion makes the offer first. Just like Sakura can do without literally hundreds of wannabees challenging her to fights every day, hoping for a shred of prestige for going a round or two with a real fighter. Kentou isn't even slightly in Sakura's league. He isn't even in the leagues BENEATH her league. Challenging her would be a pretty bad insult in some circles, and that may come back to haunt Hotaru in a negative light. The boy takes pride in being Hotaru's apprentice, he doesn't want to make her look bad by doing anything that would humiliate her by proxy!
"It's nothing to be ashamed about!" blurts Sakura. "I mean, from as far as I can gather, I'm actually pretty lucky to be throwin' stuff around as much as I do. I... didn't =have= to learn it the hard way, so I got tons of respect for people who've gotta work at it." Yes, like Shingo. Sakura brushes her hair out of her eyes, stepping back for a moment. Uh-oh, she's got that lecturing look in her eyes. "But, y'know, oddly enough? I didn't have to worry so much about fireballs or chi... but I had a =lot= to learn about actual fighting. Strength, balance, form, discipline, all that kinda stuff... I just did things the way that felt natural, but I got a lot of things =wrong=..." Curling her fists at her sides, she draws in a deep breath. "Really, I can train for weeks and not pick anything up, but I get in a fight and learn a ton more. Like, I learn the best through combat. So maybe that's the way you learn best too!"
Raising her left fist into a defensive stance, held diagonally before her as she turns her side to him, she grins. "And like I said, I'm =kinda= in the mood to throw down. You feel up to showin' me your stuff? I wanna see what Hotaru's been teachin' you!" Sakura gets the sense this kid might feel more comfortable communicating with motion, rather than words! And with that in mind... she loosens her stance, preparing for battle! The other pedestrians will probably get out of the way, don't pay =them= no mind!
COMBATSYS: Sakura has started a fight here.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Sakura 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Kentou has joined the fight here.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Sakura 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kentou
As Sakura blurts that out, the boy pauses. Eyebrows lifting as he seems really quite surprised at this revelation.
Wait.. hard way? Kentou didn't realize there was an easy way! ... Well, then again, perhaps he does vaguely know there are shortcuts to power. Ones that the youth is certainly not interested in taking, having seen first-hand what they cost.
Although, Kentou is intensely curious to know how Sakura learned to go about it. As she adopts something of a lecturing posture, Kentou's eyes widen with utmost attention.
Yes.. Yes that is true, Kentou has found. His fewer experiences have pointed in a similar direction, and Sakura's greater understanding all but confirms it. The greatest epiphanies he's come upon in life have been during fights, or intense spars. That duel with Hotaru recently showed him many things he lacked, many new avenues of understanding to better focus upon. "I..I see.." The boy replies quietly, absorbing this sage wisdom with a quiet reverence.
And then... That's when Sakura offers him the highest honor. A chance to show Sakura what he's learned? To bring honor to both his own name and Hotaru's? For a full second, Kentou looks dumbstruck. Staring agape at Sakura as she adopts a loose stance, giving him that shot right there on the street like a real street fighter.
Other pedestrians, fully citizens of Southtown and knowing what's up, immediately disburse to give the two room.
Kentou must have forgot to set his alarm this morning.. He's clearly dreaming this.
His hand slaps his cheek hard.
..Nope.. Not a dream.
"H..HAI! Sakura-!" Barely managing to remember to drop the honorific as requested, Kentou shouts out the affirmation with glee as he hops away from his dropped fish. He can pay for replacements out of his own pocket, that's only a distant concern! This.. Oooh no, nothing short of Hotaru coming out of nowhere and commanding him to halt is going to keep him from this!
His eyes gleam as he adopts the stance he demonstrated seconds ago. Arms lifting to readiness as he indeed intends to tell Sakura what she wants to know in far more detail than words could ever convey.
While raw excitement nearly carries him into making a sloppy opening strike, the youth knows that he better get a feel for his opponent. While the boy has studied Sakura many, maaaany times on television and DVD.. Its entirely different to face her person to person. He's dreamed of what it might be like, facing her down eye to eye.
...Somehow she seemed kinda smaller on TV. '_'; Mostly because everyone she fights tends to be way taller than her, so the cameras tend to aim higher. Perspective is a weird thing!
As such, the youth takes a moment to stretch his senses. Opening himself up to the environment around him, taking stock of the most subtle of movements his opponent makes. Trying to forget her fame and notoriety and just focus on what is in the now. Her footwork, her rhythm..
COMBATSYS: Kentou focuses on his next action.
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Sakura 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kentou
Sakura's rhythm, taken from the pages of Ryu's playbook, leaves little room for an opening. Sure, her bobbing is a bit more energetic, her clothes way more up-to-date with the current fashions, but the core stance from Ryu's branch of Ansatsuken has very few weaknesses. It's only in the =application= of the stance that there are any real chinks in the armoring.
Sakura smiles, nodding slowly in approval at Kentou's choice to remain patient. That's... something she'd taken a while to learn, really: patience. "Great! You should keep your eye on your opponent at all times," she assents... but while she does so, she also steps right into his range, not intending to make this sparring match a freebie! Even if he is a little kid in comparison to her -- she's fought people shorter than her before, but it's been a while!
And while she's right there in his range, she gauges his defenses with a quick, focused strike from her trailing hand. It's not one of her stronger strikes, but it's no tap either. "Hyaaa!"
COMBATSYS: Kentou blocks Sakura's Medium Punch.
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Sakura 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Kentou
At first brush over Sakura's defenses.. The boy can begin to see precisely why there's a mountain of difference between them. While Sakura is certainly not faster than Hotaru, the girl's stance holds no weaknesses. Ansatsuken is not as flamboyant as some styles, including his own, its solidity and balance is unparalleled.. And now Kentou can see that first hand. To Kentou's honed, if yet primative, senses.. Sakura is as solid and impenetrable as stone. No gaps, no momentary lapses of defense. No off-seconds where her balance is not at its peak. To the boy's perception.. Her stance is utterly perfect. The last time he's seen this level of magnificence was fighting K' alongside Hotaru. Or Kurow Kirishima before him.
While no doubt existed in Kentou's mind that Sakura was one of the best, seeing that confirmed with his own eyes gives that statement much more weight.
Its a good thing that the youth was paying careful attention. If he was a fraction less cautious, that fast strike would have knocked him prone! The boy's defenses react quickly, his arms moving upwards as he instinctively realizes there's no way he can move himself bodily out of the way in time. What outwardly would seem like a simple jab strikes his blocking arms with enough force to send him skidding back a few feet. With a quiet hiss, the boy quickly shakes out his hands.. trying to return the feeling to his fingertips as he recovers from the strike. He's been hit in the head by men three times Sakura's size.. And it hurt less than what Sakura barely grazed him with!
Kentou realizes now he can't hold anything back. Two or three direct hits from Sakura will send him to the floor. He needs to lay it all out right now or never!
"Haaa-HUP!" The boy's kiai rings out as he -launches- himself forth in a blur of motion. Closing the short distance between them faster than the untrained eye can follow, the boy vaults forth.. Hoping to surprise the World Warrior with speed that a boy such as he shouldn't be able to manage! Kentou hopes to lure out an early block, only for the youth to grab-ahold of her forearms and -race- up her form in a series of stepping kicks, "SHIN..JOU.." Culminating in a powerful flipping kick off of her shoulders, vaulting backwards and hoping to regain some distance afterward, "TAI!"
COMBATSYS: Sakura blocks Kentou's Shin-Jou Tai.
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Sakura 0/-------/------=|==-----\-------\0 Kentou
Karate in general tends to be a 'hard' martial art, standing in contrast to the kenpo practiced by Hotaru. Ansatsuken integrates components from many different martial arts, but the influence of the blunt, direct strikes from karate are plainly evidenced in the style. However, Ansatsuken is also generally biased towards fighters with larger stature than Sakura's, so most of her personal training has revolved around making the most of what she's got.
Sakura isn't smiling as much as earlier... she knows that she can still pack a whallop if she's not careful. So she'll just have to be careful! When Kentou rushes in, she takes a step back, knowing that she can't just shrug him off like some martial artists -- she has to deaden the momentum by withdrawing slightly. But, since she'd stepped back first, she doesn't open herself with the early block Kentou may have been hoping ... but she does nonetheless have a forearm out there for him to grab. Her trailing forearm is there to take the brunt of the kicks that follow, though, eliciting a wince of pain from the more experienced fighter as Kentou vaults back. "Heh, nice one!" she calls out in reply.
But she won't be letting the boy escape -- not quite! Sakura gives chase, relying on her speed to close to gap as she hopes to lariat her arm about his neck, so that she can pull him into a stranglehold from behind! If she should manage to snare him, she'd apply direct pressure for a few pulls, before letting him go. No sense in choking the poor boy unconscious, after all! "Hah! Hah!"
COMBATSYS: Sakura successfully hits Kentou with Sakura Strangle.
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Sakura 0/-------/----===|======-\-------\0 Kentou
Aaaaaaalmost! Kentou thought he had her for a moment.. for an instant, as he initially grabbed her leading arm.. He thought he would have connected. However, as his climbing feet impact only on her opposing forearm, the youth can only inwardly grimace for a fraction of a moment. Close!
He knew trying to overwhelm her defenses and make his own opening was his best bet, as Sakura isn't going to give him an opportunity on her own. But, alas, that wasn't quiiiite fast enough to manage it.
Even more unfortunately for him, as his attack didn't fully connect to send her reeling backwards, the Ansatsuken disciple has plenty of time to close the distance and be waiting for him as his feet return to the ground. The boy, horribly out of position and off-balance, easily falls into her grasp as the youth's neck is easily grappled. A choked 'erk!' escapes his lips as his hands move to her forearm, trying to keep circulation going to his head as his feet flail in the air. Ackwardly flailing as his face begins to rotate from red to a more purplish color.. Before -gasping- for air as she releases! Stumbling away a few steps before regaining his wits and whirling around to face her. A hand moves to his throat as he squints at her form, her image partly blotted out in spots and stars in his vision.
..Its a good thing she decided to let go.. Or the fight would already be over!
The boy now has a real tactical dilemma. At his peak focus he couldn't defeat Sakura's defenses.. Winded and dizzy as he is, he can only hope for a lucky shot now. One things for sure.. If nothing else.. Kentou isn't going to give up!
"HUT!" The boy vaults ahead yet again. Foolhardy perhaps, but he knows that he has a very limited number of opportunities to strike at her left. And every second he waits is another one he won't get back. Now or never, the youth gives it his best shot, leaping through the air as he whirls his legs overhead in a potent.. if extremely risky.. double-kick! "HUTAH!"
COMBATSYS: Sakura has saved the state of this fight.
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Sakura 0/-------/----===|======-\-------\0 Kentou
COMBATSYS: Sakura blocks Kentou's Heavy Kick.
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Sakura 0/-------/---====|======-\-------\0 Kentou
Sakura pales a bit... she wasn't totally sure how strong Kentou was before she grabbed hold, but now she has a much better idea. But while the body may not be as honed for combat, his spirit is indomitable -- and =that's= what she knows she needs to watch out for! So when she lets the boy go, she's immediately setting herself back on guard.
Her caution is rewarded, as it provides a solid defense against the acrobatic kicks that are dealt to her forearms. "Hey, that was pretty cool!" she comments with a grin, jogging back a couple steps to give the boy some room.
"Whenever I try that, my feet slip, and I look really =lame!=" she admits, nodding approvingly. Oh, she knows she could probably learn the aerial maneuvers if she =tried=, but it's just too much effort for her! Besides, she's got another powerful weapon in her arsenal to make up for it -- one she demonstrates by curling her hands back to her right side, a bright light flaring into existence between her palms. "But... I think you're ready to see my moves up close!"
The energy swirls about, starting to resemble the petals of a cerulean blue lotus blossom... but there's not much time to look upon it before Kasugano thrusts her hands forward, urging the volleyball-sized bloom out towards the young kenpoist. "Hadooooouken!"
COMBATSYS: Kentou blocks Sakura's Small Hadouken.
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Sakura 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\1 Kentou
Oh, the spirit is very willing!
The body though.. still needs work. Kentou never runs out of courage, but in the end he is only mortal. That and he's learning about his opponent as he goes along in this match up. While he's seen video after video of Sakura in action, enough so that he actually recognizes the famous gesture as she pulls her hands back in a classic posture.. Fighting her is wholly a different story.
He may not have fully appreciated her defenses before this moment.. And the boy already held them in high regard! Even his Master has weaknesses to exploit. His whirling kick, for instance, was carefully honed and timed that it had an excellent chance of catching Hotaru's fleet movements. But Sakura? Speed isn't an issue. Breaking her balance seems all but impossible. She possesses no gaps, not even hints of ones. No matter how he digs away at her, he can't seem to find an opening anywhere. To him.. She seems without flaw..
Magnificent!
Just fighting her this much has taught him worlds of how important balance can really be. While the youth's breathing is still a bit hoarse from the earlier choking, the youth hazards a pained smile at her compliment! He'd deny her baseless self-accusations if he had breath to spare, but with her hands already generating a blue energy, the boy certainly can't spare a single second on dialogue!
The youth ducks low and -races- to the side, trying to present her a moving target as he goes on the evasive. Not even nearly fast enough, but at the very least the momentum and the angle gives him juuuuust enough speed to whirl in mid-air. His blocking arms deflecting the incoming ball of force just enough to send him skidding off in a different direction. Converting what would have been a clean hit to a simple graze..
..And even that small contact was enough to make his hands go numb and his arms ache. Yowza!
For a singular moment in time, Kentou stands there. Shaking out his hands as a single thought blots out all others as his wide eyes stare distantly with starry reverence..
..Hey.. He just blocked a Hadouken! HIM! Kentou! HEEEE!!
For an instant the youth just geeks out at the very idea, stifling a giggle before he gets his head back into the game!
With another head-shake to clear the cobwebs, Kentou -races- into motion. Attempting to close the distance created from the thrown energy in a rush of speed. Only having just enough time to manage a fast, close-fisted strike. Vaguely realizing he needs to keep her on a semblance of the defensive, or she could take him apart if given a fraction of an opportunity!
COMBATSYS: Sakura dodges Kentou's Quick Punch.
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Sakura 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\1 Kentou
Kasugano's intention in fighting Kentou isn't just to beat some kid into a bloody pulp (like some fighters might)... but rather to assess his skills and talents, and possibly suggest paths for improvement. So, naturally, she's paying very close attention to the boy.
This can be good -- she can gauge his response to the Hadouken. Yes, it's a good hard stinging sensation, but all things considered, he took it about as well as she expected him to. ... But being that she's looking straight at him, she can tell the exact moment in which he has a fighting-otaku moment.
Kasugano's cheeks darken slightly, really. Knowing that he's feeling the same feelings she felt when she first got in fights with "stars"... well, that takes her back! "H-hey, nice one!" she amends, grinning.
She only has a few instants for nostalgia, though, as Kentou's racing in to cover the distance. Kasugano's feet may be steady when she's bracing for impact, but they're fleet when she wants to move! Even though Kentou's punch was certainly fast, it's only fast enough to impact the Ansatsuken fighter's headband as she had flitted out of the way a mere instant beforehand, leaping a fair distance to Kentou's side.
But while she's leaping away, it takes very little time for her to reverse direction: her momentum is neutralized as she raises one knee and one elbow, her opposite palm brought low. Balanced, she then tilts back at the Kenpoist, launching into a thrust kick aimed at his abdomen! "Hyaaa!"
COMBATSYS: Kentou interrupts Medium Kick from Sakura with Tekkoudan.
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Sakura 0/-------/--=====|=======\===----\1 Kentou
As the strip of white fabric flutters past his knuckles, the boy lunges at thin air. Wide eyes stare as he now realizes that Sakura can certainly be fast if she wants to be!
Is there nothing this fighter can't do?!
Still, the boy doesn't allow himself to flinch. The lunge had a purpose above and beyond making contact. No.. he needed to keep himself on the offensive. Make -her- move. Try to gain momentum and start forcing the fight to move to his rhythm. The youth's teeth grit with effort as he grunts with effort at the abrupt change in speed. Shoving off with his leading foot as he whirls in the -opposite- direction from Sakura. For an instant exposing his back to her in what would otherwise seem to be a foolish mistake.
..Heck, it probably was a foolish mistake! One that just so happened to work..
As the extra effort the boy puts into his speed pays dividends. As Sakura lifts her foot off the ground and commits, the boy firmly establishes his footing, completing his whirl in her direction. His braids spinning around him in a rush of motion as he -vaults- into the oncoming attack!
No, The youth knows there's no way he could have avoided Sakura's carefully considered attack. His only option then was to try and attack -through- it. The girl's defenses are down for only a split second when she kicks, balancing precariously for a split second. For someone as quick as Kentou, its just baaaarely enough time.
"TEKKOUDAN!"
His voice blurts out as the youth's arms strike forth parallel to one another, oriented sideways to the ground with fists slightly curled inward. Thrusting forth in the manner of a human battering ram, transferring the momentum of his whole body into the strike! All but impaling himself upon her lunging foot, but his fists finally connect solidly against her middle!
Perhaps a Pyrrhic little victory at best as the youth rebounds backwards, crashing against the pavement a short distance away with the rest of his lungs emptied in a sharp 'GRK!'
Much like Kentou may not have expected Sakura to move so quickly... she didn't expect =him= to move so quickly. Though perhaps that was her mistake: he'd basically trapped her into a quick evasion by using such a 'hard' Karate-like technique in contrast to his 'soft' Kenpo style! Old habits are hard to break, after all.
Regardless... taking a two-fisted strike to the torso is never really fun, no matter how you spin it! Kasugano staggers backwards, coughing briefly in pain as she curls her arms about herself. It's enough to make her breathing ragged for a bit, that's for sure! "Heh..." It should become obvious that she'd =like= to say more, considering...
But... Sakura's not one to call it quits for one good strike! Nodding her approval with a smile, she pauses to make sure Kentou's ready and able to continue. She'll give him exactly as much time as he needs, no more or no less, before she's right up there in his grill again -- this time with both hands balled together, bringing them up rapidly towards the boy's chin! "Hyyyyyaaa!"
COMBATSYS: Kentou dodges Sakura's Fierce Punch.
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Sakura 0/-------/-======|=======\===----\1 Kentou
Kentou really is Hotaru's apprentice. When the chips are down and things look grim.. That's when Kentou seems to come -alive-.
The boy hacks roughly for just a moment. Coughing air back into his lungs before gritting his teeth.
No No.. No way, its not over yet! He hasn't shown her his very best! There's no way he's throwing in the towel until he's had a chance to show one of the best in the world precisely what he's made of!
With a grunt of effort the boy spins his legs about, whirling himself to his feet in a kip-up. The youth wobbles a moment, but only just. His eyes glimmer with complete determination as he nods firmly to Sakura's gentle smile. By the time he's finished his blink.. The girl's fists are only inches from his chin.
Perhaps it was Hotaru's training in speed and reflexes or Frei's instruction in preternatural awareness.
Perhaps it was dumb luck.
The boy instantly arches his back, leaning further and further as the world slows itself down for an eternal heartbeat. A moment of complete stillness of thought as he leans back just barely enough as Sakura's combined knuckles ever so faintly brush past his bangs.. just an inch beyond his nose.
Eternity ends and the boy -throws- himself backwards. Flipping backwards in a full reverse lay-up in the aftermath of that hasty, extremely narrow escape. No time to think, no time to plan. Only a certain.. strange calmness and exhilaration all in one.
The boy -vaults- up high moments after his completed movement. Banking on Sakura following up from that thunderous strike and advancing upon him yet again..
"TENCHIIII-"As he leaps up and over where he predicts she will be. The youth spins rapidly in mid-air as he sails overhead, almost seeming to gain momentum like a top until he lands in a deep crouch.. Abruptly halting the motion as if all of that kinetic energy was wound up tight like a spring into a single moment of calm.
And then.. Explosion.
The boy unleashes his fist. Surging forth in a strike so fast and hard that eyes don't perceive a progression of action. Only a beginning.. and an end. His strike all but instantaneous. An expanding ring of force ripples along the pavement in the wake of the attack, carrying debris and dirt outwards like a ripple in a pond.
All of this aimed for where he haphazardly predicted where Sakura may be, his family's master technique!
"SHUUEN!"
COMBATSYS: Kentou successfully hits Sakura with Tenchi Shuuen.
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Sakura 1/-------/=======|-------\-------\0 Kentou
Sakura's continually surprised by this young attacker. She knows he's not quite as strong as she is now... but with his determination, it won't take long for him to be a champion.
Of course... she's been the underdog herself, many a time. She knows opponents tend to underestimate her abilities, until she ends up on the winning side of the see-saw. So... it's very very important that she not give too much leeway to the boy, herself! ... Unfortunately, once he's airborne, it's a little too late to make that decision. Sakura has to know which direction he's headed in to know which way to dodge... and it seems she hesitates just a moment too long. One could blame reflections, or the waning sunlight, or any number of causes, but the fact remains -- she got =nailed!= One blindingly fast punch is all it takes to send Sakura sailing backwards from a strike dead-on to the center of the noggin, causing the 5'2" girl to go spinning head over heels. Not as =strong?= It's got nothing to do with strength, as Sakura rightly assessed near the beginning of the fight: it's =determination=.
So when was the last time determination planted someone into a brick wall, jarring loose bits and pieces of mortar? Or knocked one's left shoe right off?
Falling forward, she catches herself with one hand, grinning broadly. Sure... that hurt! Knocked the wind right out of her sails, as is apparent by her wobbling as she pushes back to her feet. But this isn't a show of how silly one can walk about with just one shoe on, it's a friendly test of skill: as Sakura proves by brushing her bangs out of her eyes, then settling back into her defensive Ansatsuken stance.
"Got me =good= on that one, Kentou... but you're gonna have to keep surprising me like that to win!" Knuckles crack, resolve sets in upon her features as she smiles back at the kenpoist... shoring up the gaping holes in her defense she'd been leaving for him. 'What now,' her look seems to be asking him.
COMBATSYS: Sakura focuses on her next action.
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Sakura 1/-------/=======|-------\-------\0 Kentou
Did you see that Father? Your technique worked on Sakura! -Sakura-! Ryu's Apprentice!
For a single heartbeat, Kentou's future potential was realized. A glimpse of what Hotaru, Frei and others are convinced he can one day become. The girl, only a few inches taller than he, goes flying from the impact. The boy remains with his fist outstretched, his stance wide as his knuckles vibrate from the impact moments ago. A slave to his speed in that technique, The boy knows darn well that he better not miss or he's well and truly screwed. The technique eschews all reservation and defenses.. Only gathering up enough force for one perfect strike.
It was not always this effective. Hotaru and Frei had both dissolved the attack with ease. But that was months ago. Hard work and dedication filled many of the flaws his technique had. While still not perfect.. He's much more than he used to be.
For an instant, Kentou can only stare at Sakura against the wall. The moment is so surreal he can hardly believe what he's seeing. He.. Just.. Clobbered.. Sakura..
And that's when she dusts herself up and gets back up.
Reality comes crashing back down on Kentou's senses as the boy sags in his stance, nearly drooping to his knees. A hand absently moves to his chest as his heaving lungs reactivate, dragging in air as sweat pours down his brow.
For all his speed and all his determination.. The boy is becoming exhausted. It took everything he had to get him this far, and that was his very best and greatest trick..
..Now, the youth is nearly spent and Sakura looks like she just got warmed up!
Heh!
Kentou begins to grin, completely in spite of this bleak prospect. No.. This -wonderful- prospect! This is everything he ever wanted. Going the distance with the best in the world and showing them what he's made of. Excited and tired all at once, the boy fights back a fit of giggles behind his gasps for air.
'What Now?' His glimmering, eager eyes say, 'We finish this!'
"HUT!" Kentou's kiai dispels his rough breathing, forcing him to move mostly on will alone as he -charges- forth! Not moving nearly as quickly as he was moments ago, but he will not give up! Not while he can still fight!
Once into range, the boy's arms windmill about as he lunges forth with a powerful arcing strike, stamping his foot to punctuate the blow with some authority. What little the youth has left now!
COMBATSYS: Sakura dodges Kentou's Strong Punch.
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Sakura 1/-------/=======|-------\-------\0 Kentou
In reality, this is a pretty good workout for Sakura. Sure, she could have ended the match a lot more quickly than she has, but really, she wants to see what Kentou's capable of when he's challenged, not devastated! Which is one reason she's been holding off on her specialty Hadoukens. But now... with Kentou leaping in to deliver a stomp and a strike... well, okay, she can see the boy starting to grow a bit tired. As before, she leaps out of the way... though instead of =sideways=, she bunny-hops backwards, landing in a low crouch. "Mmm, not bad..." she notes with a grin... before surging forward with a blur of motion.
She'd gotten punched rather hard, a few moments ago... it's time to return the favor. With Kentou likely still recovering from his blow, Sakura will be charging forward, using her left shoulder as a cowcatcher to clear the path of any retaliatory attacks while her right fist describes an arc upwards into Kentou's mid-torso. It's one of Sakura's most powerful attacks, a dashing uppercut delivered with such force that she'd send herself and her opponent skyward from the connection. "SHOOOOOOO'OOOOU KEN!"
COMBATSYS: Sakura successfully hits Kentou with Shou'ou Ken.
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Sakura 1/------=/=======|======-\-------\0 Kentou
As Sakura easily evades his slowed, if hard strike the boy does not immediately despair. The youth doesn't embrace the inevitable, no. His thoughts continue swirling through a fogy haze of fatigue and ache. Even now, as Sakura leaps backwards and completely out of range of the boy's most punishing inside-range technique, he's already trying to think of what to do. Just beginning to vaguely realize he needs to get out of the way.. Get on the evasive and prepare to-
-By the time the boy only half-completes the thought, Sakura's rising fist is already an inch from his chin. And THIS time.. He's finally out of tricks.
"..Oh cra-"
*WHAM*
The young boy is sent flailing into the wind. His slight form whirling about in a completely uncontrolled arc. Struck high enough where he almost clears a street lamp like a football hurtling over a goal post. A whole second passes.. Two..
*CRASH*
The boy's arc finally terminates in a bone-jarring smash a good distance away. Missing a few gaping bystanders whom scurry away from the prone kenpo protege.
Kentou, knocked prone upon the ground, tries to stir. Even now will not so easily admit defeat! Straining with all of his remaining strength as his limbs shudder.. trying to force himself to sit up. Managing a few degrees.. His voice grunting as his face scrunches with supreme effort. Until.. He simply has nothing left.
Collapsing back prone with a sharp exhale of finality. His body bouncing the check his determination tried to cash. That.. for better or worse.. Is all he's got.
It is a satisfying sensation.. as he dazily stares up at the sky above. Giving it all.
COMBATSYS: Kentou takes no action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Sakura 1/------=/=======|
COMBATSYS: Kentou can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Sakura 1/------=/=======|
COMBATSYS: Sakura has ended the fight here.
Sakura's time in the limelight has taught her that it's really just rude to -not- dole out some power attacks in the course of battle. She'd tried going 'easy' on someone once, way back when, and she was never able to make amends with them before they had passed on. In her mind, the only way to move on from the regret was to ensure she fought every battle to the fullest.
Unfortunately this means Kentou gets a chinful of owwie. Kasugano twitches lightly as she feels the jarring crunch resonate throughout her fist... but she knows in her heart that there's a fine line between control and overconfidence. If she'd given him any more... it's quite likely a mistake would end up inflating the boy's ego way more than is helpful for his state of development.
So really, Sakura's looking out for his better interests, not trying to preserve her own inflated sense of pride. ... Yeah, that's what she'd tell reporters, anyway! The truth is, Sakura's internalized and rationalized her thoughts long before this one battle, grappling with the idea of facing many other opponents of Kentou's stature. Like her own martial arts training, vague ideas become more concrete through continual refinement.
There's a lot to think about as Sakura twirls about, squaring her shoulders in Kentou's direction as she bounds back to the sidewalk.
Passersby look up in amazement at the sight of the two airborne martial artists returning to gravity's embrace, pausing only briefly to watch Kentou's determined attempt to return to his feet. Some applaud the boy's noble effort.
Kasugano joins them, clapping with an impressed grin on her face. "Bravo, or whatever it is they say, that was awesome! For a minute there we were both on the same sheet of music, movin' at the same rhythm and everything!" Having been walking to the boy, she stops just short, resting her palms on her knees -- she needs a break too! "I gotta tell you, that's my favorite part of the fight... right there, where the whole world could be blowing up around you, and it just wouldn't matter, it's all pixelated out... you're =totally= in sync with just the -fight-." If Kentou's ready to get up, she'd hold her hand out to him, but if not... well, she wouldn't want to embarass him! "Man, you keep practicing and you'll go far!"
A wisdom of a true street fighter.
Kentou is here, giving it his all. How can he truly gauge his own worth if his opponent is merely toying with him? They are on the same path, if at different distances along it. Kentou would never insult Sakura by giving a token effort, knowing he could never actually defeat her.
After all, why bother then?
The reason to bother is to know his heart. Is he the sort of young man who'd face down the lion, or show his back in flight?
No, he gave it everything he had to honor her. To honor his Master. To honor his family! He can only hope she'd offer the same honor in return!
And honor him she did. The boy is completely floored, prone upon the ground as he feels thoroughly beaten. Aches and pains echo throughout his body, reminding him that.. Yup, he left no bullets in his gun. Chest rising and falling slowly as his jaw isn't too quick to move after that savage blow.
As reality begins to reassert itself upon his senses, Kentou begins to notice sounds along with the passing clouds high in the sky. Clapping?
Ah! Right, definitely applauding Sakura as the boy grunts, trying to tilt his head up just enough to see the girl accept his accolades, likewise attempting to move his hands to add to it.
Which is when the youth notices they aren't clapping purely for her...
Oh hey! His heart lurches in his chest as the corners of his eyes glisten, and none of that is from the pain. Hah!
Man.. Sakura really -is- one of the greats!
For a long moment, the boy just lays there. Smiling like a fool as he just doesn't know what to say. Like whole worlds of language try to rush from him only to jam up in his throat. In the end, the boy can only stammer, "T...Thank you ..S..Sakura-sama!"
Is he ready to get back up? Probably not, but he'll do it anyway as slow hand rises up to accept her offer with complete gratitude!
Oh, good! It's always better to help an opponent walk off from the battlefield, especially when passersby wondering if the wounded is all right! Kasugano slips Kentou's arm over her shoulder, thinking nothing of the gesture to help. Besides, the Young Fighters Community Center is just a short walk away, that'd be a good place to rest, right?
"I told you, it's just 'Sakura...'" she chides with a friendly grin. "But you're welcome, and thank =you= for showing me your best! Me... I gotta go get an aspirin from the center, my head's still ringing..."
Glancing around at the people, she happens to notice a small parcel that was dropped at the beginning of the fight. "... Oh, and hey... isn't that your fish?"
Good thing the boy's so light, makes for pretty easy packing! Kentou is easily helped to his feet, pushing upwards with what little strength he's regained in the fight's aftermath. Managing to stay aloft but only just, leaning very heavily upon his former opponent.
At her chiding, the boy's cheeks color a bit more. Yes yes.. But he couldn't help himself that time! "H..Hai Sakura.." Voice trailing as he really fights putting that honorific on this time.
The boy tilts his head up and manages another beaming grin! While talking is still a bit of an effort with his jaw pounded that hard, he finally manages to get a few words out as he adds, "If.. if I leave any f..for you.. that is.. H..he..hehe!" He's gunna need some Aspirin. Ohyeah.
He'll be fine though, the boy has had it worse than this! He's just happy he finally fought someone who didn't have knives or swords or strange slashy chi. He's been sick of getting pin-cushioned lately. Hmph!
It certainly is nice to fight someone who's a straight up fighter. Fighting with her own will and her own hands rather than relying on some cheap lethal implement or technique. He feels beaten to a pulp, but its a surprisingly good sensation. A glorious pounding leaving a lingering excitement and satisfaction.
"N..No.. T..Thank you! I.. I ca.. can't thank you enough f..for giving a nobody like me a..a shot!" The youth knows precisely how blessed he is.
And really.. He owes everything to Hotaru. Without her training, her encouragement or her endorsement.. Sakura probably wouldn't have given him the time of day, or bowled over him far worse than she did! While Hotaru is going through some.. problems right now, his respect and adoration for her hasn't diminished even slightly.
He's probably going to hug her out of the blue, and she won't even know why!
"R..really.. it was an hon-Fish?"
The youth pauses. His eyes blinking audibly as he processes that question.
....He can already hear Uncle Sakana yelling his head off in his face for being late on a shipment. ._.; Telling him that Street Fighter should have killed a useless lazy boy like him instead. >.<
"O..Oh.. Yeah.. Uh.. Its.." As much as he wants to say that it isn't important. How can delivering smelly fish even BEGIN to be nearly as important as chatting with Sakura?! .... It IS his responsibility. And if there's one thing Hotaru taught him with real sincerity, is that he can never shirk his responsibilities no matter how minor they are.
"..Y..Yeah. I.. Um.. Just one sec.. Er.." The boy then tries to disengage Sakura's shoulder long enough to wobble over towards the fallen white package. Puzzling over how to best lean down without falling over to pick it up.. Hrmm.. o.o;
Sakura's never had much respect for folks who use weapons in a fight. Sure, they -can- be fun, but the red-blooded tomboy feels they cheapen the experience of combat! Her opinion has absolutely NOTHING to do with the fact that she still sees Seishirou and Rolento as rivals of hers, NOTHING AT ALL. Fighting with fists, feet, and furious intensity is the way to go!
When the boy stops by the fish though, Kasugano blinks unsteadily. Not only was it his fish, but he seems to be suffering another case of Can't Spit It Out Syndrome. Even after all this, he can't speak freely with the girl? Rationally Sakura shouldn't be upset, but Sakura is not the most rational person in the world, training notwithstanding.
Which means that at the very slightest hesitation on Kentou's part, Kasugano sweeps in and picks up the fish =for= the boy. Screw the notion of =asking= to get involved! She looks at the parcel, judging its weight in her hands. "Huh, it's not so cold any more... You gotta bring this somewhere quick before it thaws, right?" She blinks owlishly for a moment, before dropping her gaze. "And here I was trying to fight you! Geez, I'm pretty dense sometimes, y'know?" Looking up with resignation, she shakes her head. "Okay, I get it now, you're just shy! But that's okay! Where you gotta bring this, anyway? I'll run it on over there, 'nless you wanna walk with me!" And she wags her finger as a warning -- "And don't give me any of this 'Sakura-sama, you don't have to do this' crap, it was me who asked -you- for a fight! I =gotta= help!"
When Sakura's made up her mind on something, it's really hard to dissuade her!
Oh yeah. This'll go over well when he tells this to the guys at the YFCC! 'Oh yeah, so I fought Sakura then made her finish my fish delivery route for me. Har har har.'
As the Ansatsuken Heir snatches up the bundle of warming fish, the youth squeaks in surprise! Indeed denials and dismissals are on the tip of his tongue as he would never ask the great fighter to deal with something so lowly and completely beneath her as finishing his delivery route for him! However, before he can get a word in edgewise, she's already self-incriminating!
The boy waves his hands dismissively again as words very nearly escape his lips before she beats him to the punch!
Hands freezing in mid-wave as his jaw shuts with an audible 'clop' at her warning. '^'; Doooou.
"O...Oh....ohkay.." The boy finally concedes. Man, Sakura really is powerful! ;.; Both physically and mentally, completely crushing his defenses! And he thought Hotaru was pretty willful. @_@;
"Its.. its right this way.." His smile slowly regenerating as he gestures down the street just a little ways. he certainly will be walking along with her! ...Even if he's going to be walking a little slowly for a bit, as he starts wobbling in the general direction of the Restaurant a little further in downtown.
Perhaps in a bid to mollify her worry about interrupting his day job (ha ha ha), the youth insists, "It.. its actually my last delivery of .. of the day! They don't even serve till dinner so. it.. it should be okay.." ^.^; Absently massaging his chin.
Man that technique of hers really packs a wallop. He's been hit by thugs built like giant freight-trains that hit lighter than that!
It may take a while for Sakura to really catch up to speed with someone new, but once she does, boy... they may regret knowing her after all!
Really, though, she didn't know whether he had to bring it home, or to bring it somewhere else... just that the fish wasn't as cold as it ought to be. In Japan, you either serve fish fresh or not at all! It's a big deal! Wait too long and there'd be nothing -to- deliver. Plus, with as much as Kentou seemed to have been tripping over his own words, decisive action was needed!
Still, she's glad to see her assumption was confirmed. Her expression softens once Kentou starts laughing, not wanting to seem like =too= hard-edged.
"Okay, so let's go then!" She jogs a bit to catch up to Kentou, slowing down to match his pace as soon as she does so. "So how'd you come across Hotaru, anyway? Was it just a random meeting like ours?"
The boy finds it hard to believe anyone could ever regret knowing Sakura!
Well, perhaps some of the thugs in Southtown, but they have it coming anyway.
While Kentou still holds Sakura in lofty esteem, he finds it hard to believe she manages to still seem so personable. She must get dozens of people begging her for autographs every day! Fighting Otaku trying to catch photographs of her in every waking moment of her life! Dozens of agents, managers and marketing freaks begging her to let them put her faces on billboards and cereal boxes for endorsement deals!
That she can find enough time in what must be a hectic life to spar with a little unknown and help him deliver his fish is virtually impossible to conceive of!
Of course, Kentou can understand why she must be avoiding all that notoriety and mercantile pursuit. The boy doesn't want anything to do with all of that stuff either. Being rich and famous has nothing to do with his dreams. Just that.. wealth and fame just seem to come with the territory. A cost of doing business at the far end, so to speak.
Her own master, Ryu, is famous for avoiding accolades and only caring about the good fight. But that doesn't mean he probably isn't hounded every day of his life, or so Kentou figures.
Otherwise, as Sakura asks the question, Kentou is stirred from his thoughts as his friendly smile grows several degrees more sheepish.
"Ah.. heh-heh.." The youth gently rubs the back of his head, sending his long braids dancing across his back, "..Not.. exactly random. Um.."
In some ways, Kentou was a different person then and it wasn't even that long ago. His eyes drift to the ground as he slowly walks, gaining a little more strength with every step in this restful pace, "I.. Was.. Well I was kinda beating up kids at the Youth Center and she kinda stopped me.. eh-heh.."
The boy hates to admit to anything that will almost certainly lower Sakura's opinion of him, especially in the wake of impressing her so!
Deciding he better qualify that statement he hastily adds, "I never fought -real- fighters before! I heard they were all over the center so.. I .. sorta started fighting everyone and.. She.. She definitely showed me." His voice becomes a touch more wistful, ending the note with a pleasant smile. A happy ending indeed!
Sakura -tries- to avoid getting too far out into the spotlight, but once she's in it, she makes sure to live up to her celebrity status. She likes the public aura Chun-Li and Athena seem to give off, and as such tries to emulate their personas, much like she's emulated Ryu's tactics and strategies. Once fights start, she certainly shows her own tomboyish flair, but that's got nothing to do with how she talks to her fans! Chun-Li's kindness and Athena's encouragement, after all, =she= wouldn't have become as popular in the fighting world as she is now. It's just the Ansatsuken prodigy's way of passing the baton on towards the next generation!
When Kentou starts getting all nervous and such again, Kasugano tosses him a skeptical look. Agaaaaain? But she also doesn't know the circumstances of his story, so leaping over and taking charge won't work here like it did with the fish. Said fish gets lugged on her shoulder as she awaits his eventual reply.
A smile crosses her face once she receives it. "Oh, that's all? You make it sound like you're embarassed or something!" ... Mind, she =is= being a little sarcastic here, but only in an attempt to get the kid to loosen up a little. "Nah, really, it happens. You beat up the wrong people, oh you'll =know=, alright!" Snickering, she nods in approval. "Used to get in every fight I could stand, but some really strong folks taught me how to pick my battles, y'know? S'cool though..." And now it's Sakura's turn to get wistful, as she looks ahead for a moment. "... So yeah, how =is= Hotaru these days, anyway? Kinda wonderin' if I shouldn't get the Neo League folks to hook us up, it's been a while..."
he boy is grateful that Sakura is awfully understanding! He suspected admitting that he picked on people weaker than him to get stronger people to fight may not have looked to great on his personality. He's just glad that Hotaru straightened him out in really short order there.
The boy can only imagine how many fights Sakura has gotten herself into starting out, as he can't help but chuckle a little in spite of himself as she emphasizes -know-.
However! That's when the Ansatsuken disciple asks a question thats far more loaded than the girl could expect. He very nearly blurts out 'Fine!', only choking the word back as he realizes it would be a lie. The boy's gaze drifts ahead a moment as he mulls over how best to respond to that.
In some senses, Hotaru is very alright. In others.. Well.
"She's.. Having some issues lately.." Kentou slowly ventures. Mentally considering every word as he speaks them, "..She's had a lot on her mind. And.."
Ermm.. How much of Frei's problems does the boy want to spread around? Admittedly Sakura IS friends with them both, and as a friend she has a right to know! Especially if she can potentially help!
"..We think.. I mean, Frei and I think.. She might have gotten a little.. messed up.. A little. Because of a fight she had with Frei's brother, Kataki.."
That didn't sound so bad now, did it?
...Er..
Sakura was happy to find out that this nervous kid had started out with a rowdy, rambunctious streak! Everyone's gotta live a little! It's sure better than him turning into a little puddle of nervousness every time some girl asks him a question, that's for sure...
But it seems she'll actually get something closer to a straight answer with this question of hers. Sure, she =expected= a 'she's doing fine'... that's just what folks normally say to that sort of thing. So when it wasn't, well... she frowns!
"Huh... really?" she asks cluelessly, stepping a bit closer as she walks in case the boy doesn't want to broadcast to the world. "... Kataki, huh...? He mentioned -another- brother, but I didn't think that was his name..." She looks down at her feet as she walks, before glancing back to Kentou. "Okay, when you say you =think= she's messed up, I take it she's walking around and such, right? What in the world can someone do with just one fight, even someone like Frei?" Skeptical much? Kasugano just considers it unusual that someone with =Hotaru's= determination could be swayed so much that her own disciple would consider it wrong. Not that she's =doubting= Kentou, but she's curious to learn more!
Only when the 'Some Girl' in question is an extremely pretty and popular superstar dream fighter!
That seems to button the kid's exuberance right up.
The boy nods quietly to Sakura's question, eyes still ahead as he contemplates both the road.. and the trouble at hand.
Wait.. Another brother?
"..Frei has a brother other than Kataki?" Kentou posits quickly, looking to Sakura in a moment of confusion. Huh! Frei never mentioned.. But.. Then again, Kentou didn't ask! Daw!
"Oh! I mean, she's physically fine! I mean!" Kentou blurts out quickly, trying to assuay any concerns Sakura could have over the Kenpo Mistresses' physical well-being. At least.. for what Kentou knows, she seems okay. Better than okay.. actually. Stronger than she's ever been really.
"Its just that..." His attention seems to drift away, becoming introspective, ".. After she fought Kataki she seemed.. more vicious.. I dunno. More intense.. not.. Not like she used to be. I mean.. she.. she practically beat Frei within an inch of his life. She.. She didn't even apologize it.. it just.." The boy considers, previous worries beginning to eat away at his thoughts as they did before he ran into the Ansatsuken Prodigy.
"..She looks like Hotaru.. talks like Hotaru.. But.. Its like she isn't even Hotaru.."
Only when the 'Some Girl' in question is an extremely pretty and popular superstar dream fighter!
That seems to button the kid's exuberance right up.
The boy nods quietly to Sakura's question, eyes still ahead as he contemplates both the road.. and the trouble at hand.
Wait.. Another brother?
"..Frei has a brother other than Kataki?" Kentou posits quickly, looking to Sakura in a moment of confusion. Huh! Frei never mentioned.. But.. Then again, Kentou didn't ask! Daw!
"Oh! I mean, she's physically fine! I mean!" Kentou blurts out quickly, trying to assuay any concerns Sakura could have over the Kenpo Mistresses' physical well-being. At least.. for what Kentou knows, she seems okay. Better than okay.. actually. Stronger than she's ever been really.
"Its just that..." His attention seems to drift away, becoming introspective, ".. After she fought Kataki she seemed.. more vicious.. I dunno. More intense.. not.. Not like she used to be. I mean.. she.. she practically beat Frei within an inch of his life. She.. She didn't even apologize it.. it just.." The boy considers, previous worries beginning to eat away at his thoughts as they did before he ran into the Ansatsuken Prodigy.
"..She looks like Hotaru.. talks like Hotaru.. But.. Its like she isn't even Hotaru.."
Sakura shakes her head, waving her free hand dismissively. "No, no, I can't remember =what= his name was! So it might be the same brother, but like his middle name or something." Kasugano laughs in spite of herself, bobbing her head as she tries to get back to the thread of conversation. "Hmm... so maybe it's like Psycho Power or something..." It might seem like a bit of a jump to go from 'acting funny all of a sudden' to 'psycho power', but one's really got to consider how the girl spent her summer vacation! Indoctrination with Shadaloo will tend to do that to a person...
"... so does, uh... her power come out any differently at all? Purple, veined, red, polka-dot or anything?" Sakura makes some vague gesture with her hand -- she's curious, but not really committing to this line of questioning. Really, she's more interested in... "So... did he get to spend a lot of time with her after this fight, or... well, what can you tell me about the fight itself?"
The boy blinks again as Sakura dismisses the question. Nodding after a fashion as he pouts slightly, absorbing that answer with some satisfaction. Kentou generally believes people, he isn't suspicious by nature. Especially good people like Sakura! It is an honest mistake, he reasons. After all, if Frei had a third brother he probably would have been mentioned by now!
As Sakura posits a new factor of the equation, Kentou blinks, "...Wha? Hey! Hotaru isn't psycho!" He blurts, flabbergasted that Sakura would make such an accusation of his Master! o_o
Although, as Sakura asks a follow up question that's surprisingly accurate, the boy's knee-jerk reaction pauses. Shifting gears as he stammers, "W.. Well.. Yeah.. The color of her Chi has been.. different. I mean, it's red now.. mixed in. Its.. been really strange.."
The boy slowly shakes his head then as Sakura digs for more details, "I.. I don't know. Frei .. probably knows a lot more. I only know what he told me.. I.. I haven't had a chance to talk with her since.." As much as he tries to keep his tone even, worry drenches every syllable that leaves his lips. He is really concerned for his Master. Anything that can do THIS to her can't be good for her..
..And it's all this Kataki's fault..
"N-no, not like that! Psycho Power's... different. It's not chi. Chi is all around us, messes with your =body=, Psycho Power messes with your =mind=. It's not like anything else I can control, Psycho Power is just... " She shakes her head once, before tapping her temple with two fingers. "It's all up here. Hurts, like tryin' to make sense of stuff in math class for too long." Sakura flashes the boy a glum half-smile: "And some people know how to make it act like chi, form fireballs with it and toss it around at people."
Kasugano looks forward again, nodding as more details spill out. The notation of a color shift definitely indicates Sakura's suspicions -- that someone has -definitely- gotten into the girl's head. If it were purple, that's one thing, but red is just about on the other side of the spectrum... =very= different. For Sakura to tap into orange flames requires a completely different mindset than her norm... so at least from her perspective, this is a Big Deal(tm).
But still, the boy's sounding way too worried for his own good. Even more than before, when he couldn't even -start- a sentence. She turns to face him more directly, even to the point that she's walking -sideways-. "Hey, look. We'll figure out what's up, okay? Frei's on the case, and I'll keep my eyes open." A broad smile crosses her face -- she gets the sense that any further questioning is probably not going to yield new results, so it'd be better to just... find out more, and -then- collaborate with the boy. "I can count on you to keep your hopes up for Hotaru, right?"
Different than Chi?
Huh.
That's just a whole new ball of wax that boggles Kentou's mind to even think about. He has a hard enough time contemplating a more physically aspected source of energy like Chi. This 'Psycho Power' is completely beyond him. While.. he can vaguely comprehend where Sakura is coming from on its source, that makes even less sense than hurling energy balls with his body! How can people blow stuff up with only their minds? Absurd!
But it does go a loooong way towards explaining what could be happening to Hotaru right now. Sakura's insight into the details of what his mentor is going through is uncanny. Clearly she has much experience dealing with issues like this..
Sakura's seeming knowledge on the topic begins to fill Kentou with hope. If Sakura talks to Frei, between the two surely they can work something out on how to fix this matter?
The boy fully regards her as she turns to him, slowing his pace to help her navigate sideways while she speaks. The youth's smile returns in full then, matching her own broad smile as he definitively nods, "Hai!" Clearly his spirits lifted as he feels a little more positive on the situation!
Life certainly is taking a turn for the better. Something Kentou is seriously glad to see!
Sakura doesn't want to boggle the poor boy by talking about Psycho Power... there's people who can deliver treatises on the nature of the energy way better than she could! And besides, it'd be necessary to provide concrete examples to relate to, and the girl isn't ready to start dropping names of her friends and foes juuuust yet. Keep the boy innocent for now!
"Great." She's pleased, but not =excited= like she was earlier -- she just wants to give the boy hope that Hotaru will be okay. "Now, if you're anything like I was... you're gonna wanna go out there, find Kataki, and beat him up all by yourself and save the day." Her smile tightens, yet she shakes her head. "Don't do it alone. If he or someone else messed up Hotaru, they're gonna get you too." Sakura has experience here too!
But by this point, walking sideways has gotten boring! And they're almost at the restaurant anyway. Straightening up to face forward, she adds, "If you =see= Kataki by yourself... just run. Get me, or Frei, or someone else you trust. Do -not- try to stick around or fight him, or you could end up making it harder to get Hotaru back."
Sakura draws in a long breath, her smile fading away into seriousness. "Sorry... didn't mean to be a downer or nothin'. I'm pretty sure we can beat him, I just don't want you makin' the same mistakes I did a while back." Chuckling softly, she drums the package of fish lightly with her fingers. "And we're prolly gonna need all the help we can get!"
Proving that the boy's head isn't filled with rocks, the youth emphatically nods to her advice, "Ooooh yeah! I was gunna go get Jiro to help me!"
The boy may be foolhardy but he isn't stupid. He comprehends his limitations readily, knowing that anyone whom was capable of defeating Hotaru the boy hasn't a snowball's chance against. Such a foe requires strategy and numerical superiority! That and Jiro was strong enough to actually beat Hotaru. Between the Stray Dog and himself, the youth feels pretty confident that they could bring Kataki to his knees.
If it wasn't for an X-Factor, that is.
"...Uh.." The youth suddenly adds with a forgetful grin, "..Jiro's a friend of Hotaru's.." Unable to bring himself to say 'boyfriend' precisely. Again, not knowing just how well Sakura is familiar with the people in his life!
"And.. I wanted to at first but.. Well." Exhaling slowly as his brow furrows, "..Frei asked me not to. I think.. I think he wants to deal with Kataki himself.. but... but I'm not sure.." That or just wants to keep his brother from getting the holy heck beaten out of him, as Kentou can understand.
The boy's lips quirk in something of a half-frown as his head tilts, "Its.. Its just really complicated.."
And complications aren't things Kentou deals well with. He is certainly straight forward in thought and deed. But this situation is anything BUT straight forward.
Still.. Looking back up to Sakura with another smile, encouraged by her tip, "Yeah.. I mean.. When people like you and my Sensei have so many friends, why not ask them for help?" Nodding again to Sakura's words, "And Hotaru-sensei will get plenty of help!" ^_^
She is, after all, one of the most beloved people in the YFCC if not all of Southtown. And a rising starlet in fighting circles, not unlike how Sakura was not long ago! There are a lot of people in town who would go to great lengths to help her. He's standing the presence of one of them for sure.
And a considerable source of help she is!
Oh, Sakura knows Jiro quite well! She smiles when he mentions the name, and keeps smiling when he gets all self-conscious again. "Oh, heck, I knew that! Kinda taken with her too if I remember right..." Kasugano might or might not have outdated information, but she doesn't let fear of speaking an untruth keep her from saying so!
As for Frei... "Well... it's good that Frei -wants- to take care of Kataki alone, but somethin' you gotta consider, Kentou... is what's best for =Hotaru=. Frei's experienced, he knows what he's doin', but if he's brothers with this Kataki person, well... family's a very strong bond." Nodding slowly, she clenches her fist by her side. "I'd do darn near anything if I felt my brother needed me to, even if he just did the most irritating things ever to me. An' Kataki might be able to convince Frei he's gonna change, gonna do the right thing, then ..." Kasugano trails off for a moment, suddenly self-conscious. She didn't just =lecture=, did she? "Ugh... anyway. You ever watch movies? You don't wanna believe the bad guy when he cries for mercy. Knock him out, =then= worry about what you're gonna do with him, y'know?" She snickers a bit more at that idea.
"But also, like... =you're= looking out for Hotaru. Kataki could work his voodoo or whatever he does, if either of you go alone. So just don't! There's plenty of help around!"
Kasugano looks up at the restaurant, grinning faintly. "Well... this's the place, right? You want me to come in an' smooth things over with your boss, or, uh... whoever?"
Yup. Indeed she did just lecture!
Even more shockingly, Kentou seems completely rapt, attending to her words eagerly with wide eyes.
Yes.. Frei does know Kataki better than anyone. He must understand the situation, even if it confuses the perdition out of the boy. He must understand how to resolve this, and the youth is certainly willing to trust him. It is, after all, a family matter.
Of course, when Hotaru gets attacked.. That makes it Kentou's family matter as well.
Still, Sakura's advice is extremely sound. He suspected that notion to be true, and her words confirm it. And Kentou had no idea about this 'Psycho Power', which is another extremely important part of the puzzle. One that the youth will have to follow up upon.
And more than even that..
... Sakura gave him a shot. Not only gave him a shot.. but he did well! She praised him! AND he got to see, first hand, one of the very best.
While the boy smiles at her movie comment, snickering at how true that is, her turns to face her properly. Accepting the fish back from her as then bows at the waist extremely formally, braids flopping over his shoulder with the motion. Tucking the fish under an arm as he claps his fist to his palm.
"It is.. T..Thank you for your advice. Thank you.. THANK you for giving me the honor of fighting you!" Words can barely convey his appreciation, only the slight tremor of reverence in his tone.
As for the offer.. Ah-hah.. The last thing he needs is poor Sakura to get an ear full from Ol' Sak too. ._.; "Oh! N.. No no, I can work it out! It'll be fine!" Lifting the fish to sniff at the package. o.=
Mmmhrmm. Still smells fishy to him. It should be okay!
The boy steps backwards into the entrance of the restaurant, continuing to face her as he bows again, "T.. Thank you again! I.. I hope to meet you again sometime, Sakura-s.. Sakura!"
Sakura blinks, surprised at the sudden show of formality. And here she thought the kid was finally starting to treat her normal-like! Maybe this is what Ryu felt like when she started tailing him around... embarassed!
She handles it well, though, keeping her composure despite a faint pink tinge in her cheeks. "Oh, heck, anything for a good fight with the latest and greatest fighter to burst onto the scene!" Coming from some folks, that sort of comment might seem hokey, even patronizing, but Sakura knows how to keep it real -- she really believes the words coming out of her mouth! "Yeah, I'll be around! Feel free to shout if you need me for anythin, and... I'll keep an eye out. Promise!" She bows back in kind, waving back at the boy as he dashes inside.
As she turns away, though, she rolls her shoulder a bit. Wrinkling her nose in mild disgust, she confirms that, yep, she now smells like fish. It's definitely time to head back to the dorms, she decides, and starts jogging!
Log created on 16:17:11 02/18/2008 by Sakura, and last modified on 21:15:46 02/24/2008.