"I tried to tell them, old man." Bakusa lied, as he shrugged his shoulders. "They just wouldn't listen to me." He continued, making sure none of the blame were to be placed onto his shoulders. Everyone looked over Kiro, as if he weren't even there. "If the kid just plans on running for the rest of his life like a coward, then you should have just left him with the problem he already had." The master cruelly added, he thought he saw more in Kiro, but at this point, he assumed he must have been wrong. Bakusa thought he saw the spirit of an incredible fighter, but he must've been mistaken.
"Hey!" Kiro interjected, as Bakusa called him a coward.
"There was no black and white, Asuka." Muhai agreed, as he slowly nodded his head. He would have done the same thing if he hadn't known the consequences first hand. Truly, deep down, he did not blame anyone. Helping Kiro win his first fight only forced him to dive headfirst into the world of martial arts. It was a path not many would want to take, and Kiro had yet to prove it to Muhai personally that it was one he was ready for. If a man wanted to run away, as Bakusa said, though, then they should have left him with the easiest thing to run away from.
"Will you people stop being so vague, and tell me what's going on!?" Kiro angrily shouted, as he waved his hands childishly to get everyone's attention.
"Tell me, Kiro," Master Muhai calmly began, as he shifted his focus, giving Kiro a more serious look.
Kiro immediately stood up straight, startled by the look given. "Yes, Sensei Muhai?" Kiro politely responded, his mood completely changed now, knowing it was something of great importance.
"If another young man decided to challenge you, what would you do?" He asked quite calmly, rather Kiro knew it or not, the answer he gave would determine his entire future.
"Uh, well, if it was a good reason," Kiro scratched the back of his head, as he carefully thought of an answer. Memories flooded to him, memories of his constant bullying, and all of his labels. He clenched his fists, as he immediately thought of his answer. "I would stand my ground and fight!" He exclaimed aloud, sounding as if he fully stood by his answer.
"Now that you've defeated one challenger blocking your path, many more are sure to come. Each one bigger, better, and stronger than the previous. Are you still confident in your answer? Do you plan on running away when things get tough?" He continued to question Kiro to make sure that the young man was certain.
"I won't!" Kiro almost angrily replied. Not anymore, Kiro was going to be a different person this time.
Bakusa was taken aback slightly, as he lost his cool composure for a moment. 'No matter how stupid the kid is, the spirit of a fighter is unmistakable. I guess I wasn't wrong after all.' He thought to himself, as he watched on.
"Then you have no choice but to fight!" The old man exclaimed back at him, as he slammed his massive hands down on the floor. "If you're truly serious about everything you just said, then you have no choice but to continue to train, and grow stronger, so you can face those enemies head-on!" Muhai exclaimed.
Kiro bowed, as he began to think about everything the master had just said. He was right, if Kiro truly planned on never running away again, then he would have to grow stronger. He was thankful to have people who cared so much about him, to help him achieve his goals. "Yes, Sensei!"
"Beginning tomorrow morning, you will start your official technique training with Asuka!" The master revealed, still sounding quite serious. This was it, no more games. Kiro was going to become a true disciple.
"And maybe I'll show you a thing or two myself..." Bakusa butted in awkwardly, as he was moved by Kiro's spirit. He deserved a bit of training from someone as great as he was.
"Karate really is the best martial arts to learn." Shin bragged, nudging that he'd train Kiro as well, as he sipped a bit more from his cup.
"Then it's settled!" Muhai was surprised just how quickly everyone was willing to jump in to help Kiro. He was happy that they felt the same way he did.