[Kuzan's POV]
Getting rid of those useless thoughts, I made my way out of the arena and to the outside of the Tokyo Dome, only to be met face to face with a number of the top heavy hitters.
Doppo Orochi, Kureha Shinogi, Kaiou Retsu, and even the embodiment of self-defense, Master Gouki Shibukawa.
'I had expected to meet the others, but even him, huh? Looks like I've caused quite the stir with this match of mine. Hopefully, I don't catch even his attention yet, I'm far from ready.' I continued to analyze the ramifications of my fight while returning a greeting and bow to each of my future masters, well all except one at least...
"So, Mr. Retsu," I spoke in a taunting tone, even disregarding his title in an attempt to further infuriate him, "did you like my performance? I used every last bit of what the Temple has taught me, all 4000 yea-"
"Enough!" I was finally cut off by the young Kaiou's shout. 'Thank God.'
"Master Ryuu has told me much about you, Master Bun," the man's next words surprising me, "especially about your dedication and love for the teachings of martial arts."
"This is a charade," the man said while turning his back towards me, "one that I refuse to take part in."
He walked away.
'Oh hell no,' I was just about to chase after him when Master Orochi stopped my movements by grabbing tightly onto my shoulder, locking me in place.
"No," the man started to explain the reasoning behind his actions—however, I was having none of it.
I was shocked at first, the Tiger Slayer himself, Master Doppo Orochi, breaking one of the cardinal rules between fighters.
'You bitch, stepping in where you have no place to!' My emotions took over my rational thought, launching a heavy punch right at the old man's face.
In that moment, I couldn't care less about his status as my future master, all I could feel was rage. Rage at having my plan fail right in front of me, rage at this old man stopping my back-up plan as well.
"I'm sorry boy," he spoke after blocking my punch with his palm with relative ease, "as much as it pains me to do this, but I'm stopping you from doing something you'll regret."
The old man might be a master of martial arts, but he was a horrible negotiator, seemingly unaware that his straightforward words only continued to add to my rage.
"Stop Kuzan!" Before I could continue teaching this old dog some new tricks, I was stopped in my tracks by a young voice, breaking me out of my muddleheaded state.
'Finally back, huh, Xiao Li,' I widened my eyes, finally getting a clear grasp on the current situation. I shook the old man's hand off my shoulder and walked closer to Xiao Li.
"And where did you go?" I asked her in an aggressive tone, not understanding why I was so angry at her for leaving the hotel without saying goodbye last time.
"I left a note," she explained in a calm tone defending herself, "can you not read?"
"Plus, why do I need to explain myself to you before leaving?" she countered my statements with perfectly sound logic, leaving no room for rebuttal.
'Why then am I so angry at her?' My thought process, however, was cut off by the Karate master's words.
"Again, boy, you're not ready..." the old man interjected into the petty dispute, "you're still growing."
"Oh?" I asked the old man while raising one of my eyebrows, interested in what he had to say.
"You're inexperienced," he continued to lecture me, "you might have the thought, the talent, even the strength, but you're still inexperienced."
"Son," the jujutsu master interjected, realizing what I was about to do and putting a stop to it before I could even begin my movement, "he's right."
The Man Eater wouldn't be stopped in his comments, however. "I can tell just from looking at you, you've never faced real defeat in a battle..."
"I'm not talking about during training, I'm talking about a defeat where you've been thoroughly convinced of your loss."
"You haven't even blossomed into a true martial artist yet." His words cut deep into me, however, I would not take this disrespect to my martial path lightly.
"You're weak."
After all my effort, all that I have been through, to hear that I was no better than Katsumi in this regard before his match with Pickle, I just couldn't bear the weight of the words in that moment.
"You know nothing, old man," I continued, not sure whether I was trying to convince him or myself with my words. "If that's your requirement for a martial artist, then I'm not one."
"Secret techniques, philosophy, theories, even weight training and especially the martial arts, they're just ways for the weak to get stronger. The strong don't need any of those."
"You say I'm weak," I spoke directly facing into the Tiger Slayer's eyes, my heart burning.
"DON'T YOU THINK I KNOW THAT!"
[Xiao Li's POV]
'No, Kuzan, no...' I was unable to get out my words, too shocked by his outburst, my heart tearing inside my chest.
[Kuzan's POV]
"I'm born weak, don't you think I know that..."
"You're wrong, old man. You think I've grown egotistical about my strength," I spoke into his eyes, trying to calm down, "you couldn't be more wrong."
I turned around, getting ready to leave, trying to find a cold body of water to jump into to cool down.
"Prove it then, boy," my ears prickling up at the Man Eater's words, "show me your strength."
"Face my son."
"So that was your plan all along, you old geezer," my words outing the old man's true intentions, "you're pretty shameless, you know that?"
[30 minutes later]
I was currently on my way to the hospital to collect on what I was due. I entered the building, this time choosing to ignore the secretary at the front and charging straight into the doctor's office.
I slammed my hand hard down onto the table, finally catching the surgical genius's attention.
"So, Mr. Shinogi, what did you think? I saw you in the stands watching during the fight, did you like what you saw?"
"Truly, young man, it was quite the show," he uttered, "I'm just so sad that your Aunt wasn't there to see it."
"Come on now, we don't need to go that far, do we..." I spoke to the man in a now much softer tone of voice, even going so far as to pick up the papers that had been previously dropped from the table due to my actions.
Thankfully, I was able to quickly surmise a counter to his attack. "Wait, you promised to teach me if you liked what you saw, that would mean you're going back on a promise you made to a poor little boy."
I continued to dig into my point. "I'm the one who's in the right here, doctor, I'm sure even my Aunt would agree." I spoke in a sly tone of voice, feeling the spirit of my sister channel into me as I did so.
However, it seemed he wasn't called the Super Doctor without a reason, quickly devising an antidote for the injury I had just inflicted. "Now young man, if we're going down that route I would be forced to update your Aunt about your current situation, even your private affairs."
He spoke his words in a calm but stern tone of voice, with a smile on his face as if expecting to scare me with them.
"Uh, what are you talking about, doc?" I was confused by his attitude, not understanding what he was trying to get at.
"HAHA, okay then young man, mind explaining to me why you're currently holding that young lady's hand so tightly?"
'Ah, so that's what he's playing at,' I realized, finally catching up to the doctor's line of thinking, while at the same time letting go of Xiao Li's arm that I had previously grabbed.
"You're misunderstanding, doctor. I just had to drag her over here for a check-up since she apparently got hurt last night and I wanted to make sure she was alright."
"Oh?" the doctor questioned, showing a little bit of interest. "And how did she get hurt exactly?"
We both turned our faces to the supposed patient, waiting for her to answer. Unfortunately for us, the same patient was currently employing every assassination technique known to man to try and conceal her presence.
I encouraged the uncooperative patient with a light smack on the head. "Come on now, didn't your parent's ever teach you that you shouldn't lie to the doctor?"
It seemed as if my efforts proved fruitful as she finally stopped trying to escape from my grip and turned her head to face the doctor's, speaking in a whisper as she did so.
"I fell :3."