NEW MASTERS?

"Who the Hell Are These Guys?"

The room falls into silence.

Then, with a pout, she scoots closer to Saruto, tugging on his sleeve. "You know my eyesight isn't that good."

Saruto chuckles, indulging her as she clings to him.

The other woman huffs, wrapping her arms around his other arm and pulling him closer. She peeks over his shoulder, narrowing her eyes at Akuma.

"How unladylike, Akuma. You know today is my day with Saruto."

Akuma lets out a long, drunken sigh before leaning into him. "He's my husband too, Mei." She tightens her grip around his arm, pressing herself against him possessively.

Stuck between them, Saruto laughs as they tug him back and forth like a rope in a game of tug-of-war.

"Akuma, Mei is right," he admits, gently pulling his arm from Akuma's grip and patting her head. "I did promise her that today I'd give her all my attention."

Akuma sighs in defeat but doesn't back down completely. "Fine… but tomorrow, I won't be taking it easy on you." She sticks her tongue out playfully.

Saruto chuckles, blushing slightly before turning back to their guests, who have been awkwardly witnessing the entire exchange. Most of them look either embarrassed or uncomfortable—except for Tenjin, who stares with admiration, his eyes practically sparkling.

"Oh, right." Saruto clears his throat. "Akuma, Mei, meet our guests."

One by one, they introduce themselves.

"I'm Ju… Ju Asura."

The moment Ju says his name, the three hosts visibly react. Akuma looks at him for a moment, then rolls her eyes and returns to her drink, uninterested.

Ju frowns slightly, but before he can dwell on it, Tobi sets his cup down, drawing the room's attention.

"With introductions out of the way, Saruto-sensei, do you think you can honor my request?"

Saruto removes his hand from Akuma's head, bringing it to his chin in thought. "I have no problem training your students… but I'd have to ask these two ladies."

Mei sighs, reluctantly removing her hands from him. "Training them? But won't that take up your time? What about us?"

Saruto shudders under her sharp gaze. Akuma pouts as well.

"Yeah! What about us?! I'm not gonna lose my time with you for some kids!"

Saruto laughs nervously before patting both of their heads in reassurance.

"How about… we all train them together?"

The two women consider it for a moment, then nod in agreement.

Mei smirks, leaning in close to his ear. "Maybe we should start doing more things together~?"

Akuma's hand slyly slips into Saruto's robe, trailing along his chest.

Tobi groans audibly, standing up. "I'll take them to the guest rooms…"

Saruto laughs heartily, waving the group off as they're ushered away.

***************

Kintaro rubs the back of his neck, his cheeks slightly red as he recalls the trio's dynamic. "That was… awkward."

"What are you talking about?! That was amazing!" Tenjin practically vibrates with excitement. "Saruto-sensei is so cool!" Stars seem to shine in his eyes.

Tobi sighs. "I'm right here, you know…"

Tenjin pauses. "Huh? What was that, Tobi?"

Before he can react, Tobi kicks him square in the backside, sending him stumbling into the guest room doorway.

"Nothing. Sleep tight," Tobi says with a smirk. "I've got some special training planned for you all tomorrow."

The ominous promise sends a collective shiver down their spines.

"Tomorrow's gonna suck, isn't it?" Ju mutters.

Everyone hums in agreement.

*************************

The next morning, the sun slowly rises, casting its golden light across the land.

Inside the guest rooms, silence reigns—except for Kintaro's thunderous snoring.

Peaceful.

Too peaceful.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

A deafening noise explodes through the hallway.

Everyone jolts awake, practically flying out of their beds and stumbling into the corridor.

Standing before them, grinning like a devil, is Tobi—holding a pot and a spoon. Beside him, Akuma, Mei, and Saruto observe with amusement.

"Morning! Hope you all slept well."

Himeko stomps up to Tobi, seething. "What the hell?! I was sleeping, you asshole!"

Tobi merely smirks and pokes her forehead. "Well, I hope you enjoyed it. Might be your last."

Himeko lunges at him, but Padme quickly holds her back.

Tobi steps away, chuckling. "Since you seem so eager to start training, meet us on the field. Now."

With that, he strides off, leaving them all tired, irritated, and utterly confused.

*************

Later, the students gather on the training field, fully dressed but still groggy.

Tobi stands in front of them, arms crossed.

"Are we having another sparring match?" Chino asks, approaching Toni.

Ju clenches his fists stepping in front of Chino, determination burning in his eyes. "If we are, I won't hold back this time."

Tobi shakes his head, his hair swaying slightly in the breeze. "No sparring today. I'm actually going to teach you something."

Kintaro raises a brow. "Wait… actually?"

"Yes, actually."

He tosses a bag onto the ground.

Padme steps forward and kneels, cautiously opening it. "What's in here…?"

Inside, small glass orbs shimmer in the sunlight.

"Glass balls?"

Saruto steps in, nodding. "Not just any glass orbs. These are tools for chi mastery."

Kintaro picks one up, flipping it between his fingers. Recognition dawns on his face. "Oh! I did this before!"

Tobi smirks. "Look at that. Seems like Kintaro has a head start over the rest of you."

Kintaro puffs out his chest. "Heh."

"Well then," Saruto continues, "since you already have experience, you'll move on to the next stage of training. Come with me."

As Saruto turns to leave, Kintaro follows—blowing a raspberry at Chino as he passes.

Chino scowls.

"Oh, come on! Why does he get Master Saruto?" Tendon cry's out.

Dramatically drops to his knees, tears streaming down his face. "It's not fair… He gets Saruto-sensei, and I'm stuck with this guy…" He gestures to an indifferent Tobi.

Tobi sighs. "Oh, quit whining. You'll get there if you can handle this first."

******************

On the other side of the field, Saruto and Kintaro stand face-to-face.

Saruto grins. "Since you've already learned how to move chi from inside your body to the outside, it's time for the next step… Division of Chi!"

Kintaro frowns. "That sounds lame."

Saruto laughs heartily. "Funny, your master said the exact same thing at your age." He crosses his arms, smirking. "Yet, thanks to this technique, he became incredibly strong."

Kintaro perks up at that, blushing slightly as he looks away. "…I guess I could try it."

Saruto pats him on the shoulder, beaming. "That's the spirit! Now, let's begin."

*To be continued——>*