Fight Hina (Street Fighter/Love Hina x-over)

The Plot: When Keitaro gets assaulted one time too many, he hires two interim managers to manage Hinata House while he takes a 2-month break.

Unfortunately for Naru, Motoko and Kitsune, those two managers just so happens to be Ryu and Chun Li. Add the fact that the two managers have zero tolerance for their stunts and Ryu is a master of Ansatsuken Shinjutsu (a swordfighting style based on Ansatsuken), mayhem will ensue.

Prologue

Hinata House - Hinata City, Japan...10 years earlier

The young boy watched as the three men - an older, balding man with a beard, a blond American and a Japanese man - bid their goodbyes to the owner of the Hinata House, Hina Urashima, and her daughter, Haruka. The two younger men were both in their teens, around his aunt Haruka's age. The boy had grown especially attached to the Japanese teen in the white gi and matching headband.

"Do you have to go?" the boy asked shyly.

The Japanese man crouched down. "I have to go. I have to train to become the strongest fighter in the world." He noticed the frown on the boy's face. "I'll tell you what...let's make a promise. If you ever get into trouble, or if you need help, you find me, okay?"

The boy nodded. "Okay." He then raised his small hand. "Promise?"

The taller man clasped his hand into the boy's. "I promise." He then took his worn duffel bag and slung it over his shouder. "See you around, Keitaro."

On the other side of Kanagawa Prefecture, Present Day...

"Hello...hey, Sempai, I think he's coming to."

Keitaro Urashima found himself lying flat on his back. His jaw was sore, as well as the rest of him from landing who-knows-where. As his vision cleared, he saw that he was inside a massive training hall of some sort. There was a teenage girl around his age looking over him, waving her hand over his face, occasionally snapping her fingers.

"It's a miracle that he didn't die from taking such a fall," another female voice said.

"I've seen him before," a male voice said. "It was ten years ago. Ken, Master Gouken and I were guests at the Hinata House."

Upon hearing those words, Keitaro was completely alert. He assumed a sitting position as the girl moved back. The training hall was huge, and he found the souce of the voices. One was male and Japanese while the other was female and Chinese. The Japanese man was muscular, wearing only a tattered white karate dogi. A red hakimachi was wrapped around his head, keeping the dark bangs out of his eyes. He was seated beside him, in the lotus position.

The Chinese woman was curvaceous, and dressed in a one-piece blue tracksuit with yellow trim. Her long hair was braided and bunned, secured with yellow ribbons. The teenage girl was simply dressed in a white V-necked shirt and a pare of track pants. A white hakimachi was wrapped around her head.

"How do you know about the Hinata House?" Keitaro asked. He looked at the man closely. "Wait a minute...do I know you some somewhere?"

"Last time we met, you were a little sprat," the man replied. "You've grown, Keitaro."

Keitaro blinked. "Ryu-sempai? Is it you?"

Ryu Hoshi nodded. "It's me." He gestured to the girl in the skirt. "You caused a scare in my apprentice when you landed in the courtyard of our school."

"Hey!" the girl objected. "It's not everyday that a guy comes crashing into the courtyard of the school."

"Keitaro Urashima, my student in the martial arts and physical education major, Sakura Kasugano," Ryu introduced. "Sakura, this is Keitaro Urashima." He then gestured to the Chinese beauty beside him. "My wife and co-owner of this school, Chun Li Xiang. Sakura is a freshman at Tokyo University."

Keitaro blinked. "Tokyo U? You got into Tokyo University? I've been trying for the past three years!"

Sakura shrugged. "Yeah. The entrance exams wasn't that hard with Ryu and Chun Li tutoring me. You must be a ronin."

Keitaro nodded. "I am."

"So how's Granny Hina?" Ryu asked. "Is she still running the hotel?"

"No. Granny is traveling the world. She's turned the Hinata House into an all-girls dorm. I'm the landlord and owner."

"Lucky you," Ryu said. "The male landlord of an all girls-dormitory."

"Like hell it is!" Keitaro snapped, getting to his feet. "Every day for the past year, I've worked my butt off to keep the dorm running and what thanks do I get? I get tested upon, used as a means to an end, punched and slashed to hell! It's a miracle that I'm still alive!"

The Tokyo University aspirant was now trembling. "I've put up with their crap long enough! All I get is a Naru-punch and a Shinmeiryu ki attack for my troubles! I'VE HAD IT!"

Ryu and Chun Li were silent as they watched the male Urashima rant and rave. Sakura was appalled at the sight.

"This ends when I get back! I don't give a damn about their personal lives! Those three are OUTTA HERE! THEY ARE EVICTED!"

Keitaro took a moment to catch his breath. Chun Li was speechless. After a tense minute, Ryu said, "Maybe we should talk about your little problem."

Inside the kitchen, over a pot of tea, Keitaro opened himself up to the couple. He told them everything from his past failures on the Toudai exams, being used as a scapegoat and everything in between.

"I guess I really can't blame you for how you feel," Chun Li noted. "You're the manager. Why didn't you call the cops on them, or had them evicted a long time ago?"

"He sees the good in the bad," Ryu explained. "Young Urashima has always sacrificed so much and asked for nothing in return." He turned to Keitaro. "It looks like you're reached the breaking point, Keitaro. You need a vacation."

"But who am I going to get to look after the place?" Keitaro asked.

"I remember making a promise to a 10 year-old boy," Ryu replied matter of factly. "I was eighteen at the time. That promise was that should you ever run into trouble, you find me and I'll help you out in any way I can."

"The idea sounds tempting," Keitaro said. "But what do you know about management?"

"Look around you, Keitaro," Chun Li butted in. "We both run a dojo together. We just haven't opened it yet," she added sheepishly.

Ryu was in deep thought. "You said Shinmeiryu? You know Tsuruko Aoyama, the Shinmeiryu shihan?"

"Former shihan," Keitaro said. "She's no longer the heir. Her sister, Motoko is. Tsuruko gave it up when she got married. You know the Aoyama family?"

Ryu nodded. "I do. I fought Tsuruko several years earlier." He turned to Keitaro and grinned. "It was a draw. Aside from Ansatsuken, I am also the current shihan of Ansatsuken Shinjutsu."

Keitaro blinked. "Ansatsuken Shinjutsu?"

"A style of Kendo that is the diametric opposite of the Shinmeiryu style. Shinmeiryu focues on ki attacks, while Shinjutsu focuses mostly on offensive techniques. One strike, one kill." Ryu explained. "But like Motoko's style, Shinjutsu also uses ki attacks. Look, you need some time to rethink things over. Let me and Chun Li deal with the girls."

"Well, I got to warn you," Keitaro rebutted. "The dorm is a circus."

Ryu and Chun Li exchanged glances. "Trust us when we said that we've seen worse," Chun Li replied, whinking about all of the fighters that Ryu, Chun Li and Sakura had faced over the years. "Comes with the territory. Do you got any files on the tenants, just so we know what we are dealing with?"

"I can tell you right off the bat," Keitaro replied, taking a sip of his tea. "There are four girls living there. First up is Naru Narusegawa."

"I've heard of her," Sakura butted in. "She was number one on the mock exams last year."

"And she is also a ronin," Keitaro continued. "She is also very violent and Naru-punches me for the slightest offense, which is how I got here. Next up is Motoko Aoyama, the heiress to the Shinmeiryu School in Kyoto, having been granted her black belt at fifteen years old. She thinks all men are perverted and only wants to get into a woman's pants. I've also been on the receiving end of her ki attacks. It's a miracle I'm not dead yet. She is also scared of turtles."

He took another sip of his tea. "Next, is Mitsune Konno, the fox of Hinata House. Everyone calls her Kitsune. She claims to be a freelance writer, but all I ever see her do is drink sake and bet on horse races. She also wiped out my life savings when her and Motoko were looking for me last year. She is conniving and I have to bribe her with sake or deduct from her rent of I want her to do something. The next-to-youngest is Shinobu Maehara, the dorm's cook. I know she means well, but she is much too young for me.

"Then there is Kaolla Suu. She is a princess from the island of Molmol. She is hyperactive and likes to kick me in the head. She is also a geinus and uses me as a guniea pig to test her inventions on me. Why I'm not dead or missing something I'll never know. The last two girls who hang around the place is Mutsumi Otohime and Sara MacDougal. Mutsumi loves watermelons and is very friendly. However, she is prone to fainting spells and anemia. Sara is the adopted daughter of Norimasu Seta, an archaelogist. She has a tendency of smashing clay pots over my head."

"So that's it?" Ryu asked.

Keitaro nodded. "That's it."

Ryu turned to Chun Li. "Well, Li. What do you say?"

Chun Li smiled evilly. "I'm game. But first, we got to make this official." She turned to Keitaro. "Can you draw up a contract, Keitaro? The contract should be that you relinquish all responsibilities as manager for two months and hand them over to Ryu and me. That way, the girls don't have a legal standing to try and get us removed. As for the kendo girl..." She turned to Ryu. "I'll let you deal with her."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Keitaro asked. "She is extremely skilled with the sword."

"As am I," Ryu replied. "She may be the heiress of the Shinmei School, but she lacks experience. Her ego will be her downfall."

Keitaro looked around. "Can I use the phone? I need to call my aunt."

Hinata Tea Shop, later on...

Ring...ring...

"Hello, Hinata Tea Shop."

"Kentaro, is my aunt there?"

"One moment," the Sakata heir replied. "Haruka! Keitaro's on the phone."

Moments later, the owner, Haruka Urashima picked up the phone. "Keitaro?"

"Haruka, I'm taking some time off from being the landlord," Keitaro said, getting straight to the point. "I really need this break."

"You sound like you really need it," Haruka replied in her usual deadpan voice.

"Either I do this or when I get back, I'm evicting Motoko, Naru and Kitsune and turn the dorm back into an inn." The tone in Keitaro's voice was dead serious this time.

"This is quite unexpected, Keitaro. Now we got to look for a temporary manager."

"I found two. Remember Ryu Hoshi?"

"Ryu? Gouken's student? He's here in Hinata?"

"He has a dojo here with his wife. They've agreed to act as interim managers. I told them what to expect and they accepted."

"How long will this break be?" Haruka asked.

"Two months. It's either I take a leave of absence, or I evict those three when I come back, or I call Tsuruko and have her act as manager. Ryu's wife will come to the tea shop first. Ryu and I will follow the following day."

"So what does she look like, so I know?"

"Look for a Chinese woman with bunned hair," Keitaro instructed. "Maybe some tough love from Ryu and Chun Li will make them appreciate me more and not treat me as a human doormat. They won't push them around, I know."

"How can you be sure?"

"Both Ryu and Chun Li are well-trained martial artists. Chun Li is a former Interpol officer who knows her way around the law, and Ryu is an expert in swordfighting. He even fought Tsuruko into a standoff years earlier. I've seen him use some of his Shunjutsu ki attacks earlier. They're more destructive than Motoko's."

"So when can I expect the wife?"

"In a couple of hours," Keitaro replied. "She's packing as we speak. In the meantime, go and tell the girls that they will be expecting their new managers soon."

"Will do."

Chapter One

Hinata House

In the living room of the Hinata House, Haruka Urashima is holding a meeting with the tenants of the Hinata House. Eventhough her face was in her usual deadpan expression, complete with her cigarette sticking from her mouth, Haruka couldn't help but to feel angry at the three that pushed her nephew to the breaking point.

"Keitaro has called to say that he's taking some time off as manager," Haruka announced. "He will be back here tomorrow."

"What that perverted baka should do is just quit!" Naru butted in, her anger rising. "He disappears and suddenly decides to take some time off from running this place? He is the landlord, for crying out loud!"

"I agree with Narusegawa," Motoko said coldly. "Time and time again he has proven to be unworthy and neglectful of his duties. He should just resign and we can ask Granny Hina to come back."

Fortunately for the two girls, they didn't notice Haruka's hand balled into a fist as she lit her cigarette.

The other girls were worried about Keitaro, paticulary the blue-haired Shinobu Maehara. "I hope Sempai is okay," she said. "He did look stressed out earlier today. I hope he feels better."

"Ara, ara," Mutsumi nods in agreement.

"Like anything can hurt that dork," Sara snorted.

"So who's going to come and take over while Keitaro's away?" Kitsune asked.

"Keitaro had called in a favor to some family friends," Haruka replied. "He will be arriving tomorrow."

"It's just like Urashima to call in another male," Motoko seethed. "If he is just as perverted as Urashima is, I won't hesitate to deliver justice on him."

"Like I said, he will be arriving tomorrow," Haruka insisted. "But his wife will be coming later on today. Keitaro and her husband will follow tomorrow. And for all of your sakes, I hope you show the both of them the respect and courtesy you DON'T show to my nephew."
The last sentence had a bit of hardness to it, showing that Haruka was getting annoyed with Naru and Motoko using Keitaro has a human punching bag. Both girls caught the tone and immediately shut up.

Haruka had intentionally left out that both the new co-managers were martial artists, as well as that Keitaro was originally going to evict most of the girls and turn the place back into an inn.

As the female Urashima turned and walked out of the dorm, Naru noticed the evil smile she had on her face.

'Just what is that baka planning?' she wondered.

Later on in the day, Haruka was back in her teashop. Business has slowed down, since it was late in the afternoon. Her mind was currently on the last conversation she had with Keitaro over the phone.

In an attempt to make the tenants appreciate him more, he called in Ryu and his wife, who ran a dojo on the other side of the prefecture. In Keitaro's words, they will be wishing for him to come back as manager before the two months is out.

"Excuse me...Haruka Urashima?"

Haruka looked up. Standing before her, in casual clothes - a red-and-white Chinese-style top, denim pants and tennis shoes - was Chun Li. At her feet, was a sports bag. On her face, was a pair of reading glasses.

Haruka looked at the younger woman, giving her the once-over. "You're Ryu's wife?" she asked.

Chun Li extended her hand and Haruka shook it.. "Chun Li Xiang. Keitaro's told me a lot about you."

Haruka motioned to an empty table. Chun Li took a seat as Haruka got out a pot of tea and two cups. After pouring out cups for herself and her guest, Haruka sat down across from the Chinese martial artist.

"So you're Ryu's wife," Haruka said sizing the other woman up. "Never thought I'd hear him getting married and settling down. Last I heard, he was in Brazil training. So where exactly is my nephew?"

"At our dojo on the other side of Kanagawa," Chun Li replied. "He will come with Ryu and his student tomorrow."

"Keitaro has told you about the girls?"

Chun Li nodded. "He told me everything I needed to know about them, yes. I seen worse back in Interpol, so this shouldn't faze me too much."

Haruka asked Chun Li several more questions until it was time to go. The Japanese woman stood up. "Well...are you ready?" she asked.

Chun Li nodded. "Let's go."

Haruka led Chun Li up the massive flight of stairs that lead up to the dorm. Once they were inside the building, Haruka called the girls into the common area. They thought that Haruka was bluffing when she said that a woman was coming, expecting a man.

What they didn't expect was a Chinese woman with a curvaceous frame that made Naru and Kitsune jealous standing before them.

"Girls, this is Chun Li Xiang, one of the two interim landlords that will be taking over for the next two months," Haruka introduced.

Suu was the first to get over her shock, jumping on the couch, shouting, "New playmate! New playmate!"

Motoko, meanwhile, was watching the Chinese woman with a martial artist's eye, sensing her ki levels. 'Hmm...she may be a martial artist...interesting. I'll have to look into this further.'

Naru blinked. "Two managers? Keitaro hired two managers?"

"Actually, I'm here in my husband's place," Chun Li replied perfectly in Japanese. "He will be here with Keitaro tomorrow."

"I'm going to leave you all to get to know Chun Li better," Haruka said, heading for the door. "I'll see you guys later."

After unpacking her clothes, the girls showed Chun Li around the building. Meanwhile, Motoko was slightly troubled. Chun Li had reminded her of Tsuruko, who was the original heir to the Shinmeiryu School before she relinquished her position in order to get married, leaving Motoko to inherit the dojo when she comes of age.

"Excuse me, I need to get started on dinner," Shinobu said, leaving for the kitchen. Suu ran off to her room to work on one of her gadgets.

"She cooks?" Chun Li asked, an eyebrow raised.

"She is the resident chef here," Kitsune explained. "Before her parents divorced, they ran a restaurant together. She learned to cook from them. That's how she pays her rent here. She cooks and does laundry."

"You got any family?" Naru asked.

Chun Li stiffened slightly. "My mother died when I was still a child. I was raised by my father. He was a police officer in Hong Kong." Her expression darkened as she remember that fateful day when she received the news. "He died when I was fifteen. That was ten years ago."

"I'm sorry," Naru said, realizing that she had brought up a real sensitive subject up concerning the Chinese martial artist.

"So what do you do?" Motoko asked.

"I used to be a detective working for the I.C.P.O.," Chun Li explained. "Now I'm going into business with my husband."

"Doing what?" Kitsune asked.

"We're opening a martial arts school on the other side of Kanagawa. Two martial arts disciplines under one roof. The school's located near Red Sparrow Castle."

"I knew it!" Motoko interrupted. "I knew by your ki that you are a fighter."

"You're right, Motoko. I pratice Chinese martial arts, but I use mostly Kempo and Wushu. My husband and his student pratice an ancient form of Karate. He also pratices a form of Shinjutsu based off his karate style. From what I've seen, it looks like a combination of Battojustu and Iaido."

Chun Li remembered seeing Ryu out in the courtyard when she first came to Japan, praticing with his sword. He was full of surprises, she surmised. Aside from Ansatsuken, he was - he told her later on - that he was the master of Ansatsuken style of Shinjutsu. The sword he used was a Masamune (think Vergil's Yamato sword Devil May Cry 3), a heirloom that was centuries old and was considered indestructable.

Chun Li watched in shock as Ryu used a destructive ki attack on a pratice dummy, reducing it to sawdust. She then remembered Ryu saying that his style of Shinjutsu was the diametric opposite of Motoko's Shinmeiryu style, whereas the Shinmei focused on ki attacks, Ansatsuken Shinjutsu was mostly physical attacks. Ryu, however, had managed to find the balance for the two.

"I don't see you as the person who would get...married," Motoko said, pronouncing the last word with disgust. "You seem so independent. Men are vile, perverted beings who want only control and to violate a woman's chasity."

Chun Li turned to the female kendoist. "Motoko, not all men are perverted or trying to get into a girl's pants. I've dealt with some of the most sadistic men on the planet and some are women as well. But there are men who are honorable and look out for those that can't defend themselves."

As Chun Li said this, her mind raced back to the aforementioned sadistic men. A claw-toting, snake-tattooed Spainard whose face was hidden behind a mask, but more importantly, the dreaded man in red with that insane grin.

"So it's just the ones I know then?" Motoko replied, trying to make a point, but at the same time, not trying to piss Chun Li off. "From what I've seen, the only thing on a man's mind is getting power and control over a woman. If not that, they are vile and perverted beings. Once I gain control of the Shinmeiryu Dojo, I will bring back the honor of the samurai. The Shinmeiryu School will once again be respected."

"You mean feared," Chun Li said. "There is a fine line between defending innocents and attacking innocents under false pretenses. When I was in Interpol, I had to walk that line everyday, and that included crossing paths with some of the world's most evil men."

"So why'd you quit Interpol?" Naru asked.

Chun Li scoffed. "Quit? Who said I quit? I resigned. Just like any other law enforcement enity, several of its members were corrupted. People that came into the organization with me had became puppets for criminals. I became disillusioned, so I left, promising myself that I would never be a puppet of someone else." She looked at Motoko as she added, "Men and women alike can be bought if the price is right. But some people - like me - cannot be bought."

Kitsune saw that this conversation was starting to get dangerous. Eventhough Motoko was a master in the martial arts, she wondered what chances she had against someone who was more experienced in the martial arts. She had seen her and Seta fight to a standoff, and she wasn't interested in seeing Motoko get her ass kicked.

"You speak Japanese very well," Kitsune noted.

"I used to spend summers up here when I was a kid," Chun Li explained. "Japanese, English, Mandarin Chinese, and a little Korean. Same with my husband. His student can also speak English."

"So what's his name?" Naru asked.

"His name is Ryu," Chun Li replied. "He, along with your landlord, will be arriving tomorrow."

Chun Li then excused herself, leaving the girls to their own thoughts about their new female landlord.

Chapter Two

After dinner, in which Chun Li entertained her tenants about her life in Interpol she finished dinner and decided to take a bath.

Chun Li reclined on a large rock as she allowed the hot springs to work its magic on her. Her hair was done up in a pile above her head as her eyelglasses were nearby, resting on a folded washcloth.

She started to doze off when she heard the other girls' voices come from the changing room. Minutes later, Naru, Kitsune, Motoko, Suu and Shinobu enter the hot springs. They saw that the Chinese woman was there and joined her into the tub. She wasn't Keitaro, after all. On top of that, she wasn't a lecherous male in Motoko's eyes.

Naru noticed Chun Li's eyeglasses resting nearby. "You got bad eyesight?"

"Something like that," Chun Li replied mildly. "I can see fine, but whenever I try and read something, the words are blurred."

"Me too," Naru said as she sighed, allowing the waters to engulf her body.

"My Papa is also a martial artist," Sara said with pride in her voice. "He also teaches archaelogy at Tokyo University."

"Your father?" Chun Li's brow wrinkled. "Your father is Professor Seta? I know him. Aside from martial arts, I sometimes teach a class on criminalogy there."

Naru blinked. "YOU work at Tokyo U? I'm trying to go there...once I pass the entrance exam, that is."

"As I've said, it's part time. I teach a class there three times a month." She allows herself a small grin. "Guess it pays to be ex-Interpol. Ryu, however is content with the school."

"How did you two meet?" Shinobu asked.

"At a martial arts tournament, five years ago. I was with Interpol at the time and I was going after the tournament's host, a man by the name of Bison." Chun Li paused for a moment. "He killed my father."

The gathered silence showed that she had their complete attention, so Chun Li continued with her story.

"In order to fight him, I had to go through the best fighters in the world...until there was one more left. I thought that he would fall like all the others. But I was wrong. Even going through a seven-foot kickboxer, he still defeated me and later on, went on to defeat Bison." A sardonic grin crept across her face. "I should have been happy. Instead, I was mad at him for defeating Bison. Then a year later, he and his friend were in Hong Kong..."

Chun Li had sent him a challenge through Ken, telling her rival to meet her in front of the abandoned mountian temple overlooking the city. When she arrived at the designated location, he was already there. And he was alone, still in his usual fighting attire, looking over the city of Hong Kong.

"I like the view here," Ryu said as he turned around, facing his opponent. "Very serene and peaceful." He tucked his thumbs into his belt. "But you didn't come here to admire the scenery. You came for a fight, right?"

"Enough talk," Chun Li spat out. "Get ready!"

"I fought him again," Chun Li continued. "And like before, I let my anger get the best of me."

"Shinkuu...HADOUKEN!"

WHAM!

The impact of the massive ball of ki energy slammed into Chun Li sending her flying into the side of a tree, knocking the wind out of her.

"Why are you holding back?" Ryu asked.

Chun Li glared at him. "I'm NOT holding back! I'll get you yet!"

Ryu shook his head. "You're hurt, Inspector Xiang. This match is over." After looking into her eyes, he asked her, "What have I done to you? Why are you so mad at me?"

Holding her side, Chun Li managed to get to her knees. "You...you took my chance of getting revenge for my father!"

Ryu frowned. "How did I do that?"

"Bison...HE KILLED MY FATHER!"

"Oh...I'm sorry for you loss," Ryu said with geniune sympathy. "You may be good, but you weren't ready to fight him."

"HOW THE HELL DO YOU KNOW?! I COULD HAVE BEATEN HIM!"

"How can you beat him when I alone am too much for you?" Ryu retorted. "He would have killed you and your father's death would have gone unavenged."

"SHUT UP!" Chun Li screamed as she lunged at Ryu, fist raised. Ryu calmly sidesteped the blow. He then parried several of her blows before tossing her to the ground.

Chun Li looked at him with nothing but hatred in her eyes. "I HATE YOU!"

Ryu looked at the woman and shook her head. "I pity you, Inspector Xiang. Hatred and pride can take you so far until it consumes you. Believe me, I know first hand at what it can do because it almost destroyed me."

Chun Li's next comment died on her tongue as she noted the sadness in his voice.

"As I've said, you're not ready because you let your rage control you," Ryu continued. "Let go of your hate, Inspector. Let go of your hate, your anger and your rage. Once those are gone, then you will be unstoppable."

He walked past her. He then stopped and added, "Once you mastered yourself, come to Japan and find me at the Ansatsuken dojo outside of Tokyo. I will grant you your rematch."

He then left, leaving Chun Li to weep bitterly.

"As much as I hate to admit it," Chun Li continued, "he was right. He was right about everything. So, I devoted myself to my training, and followed his advice. Then, about eight months later, I came here, to Japan to find him. He was where he said he was going to be at, the old Ansatsuken School."

Ansatsuken Dojo, Japan.

Chun Li stood in front of her opponent. She was wearing her one-piece tracksuit, while her opponent was dressed in a grey-blue karate gi and his red headband. Watching from the sidelines, were the two grandmasters of Ansatsuken, Gouken and Gouki, Ryu's friend, Ken Masters and Ryu's student, Sakura Kasugano.

Chun Li had arrived during the birthday of Master Gouken. She had to wait until the following day in order to get her match.

The two fighters squared off, giving the other no quarter. Chun Li noticed that Ryu's skills had increasingly improved, while Ryu noticed that Chun Li had taken his advice to heart, giving him a run for his money.

However, the outcome was something that neither person had expected.

A draw.

Chun Li had ended up dislocating Ryu's shoulder, injuring her ankle in the process. Seeing that no one was good enough to continue, both Gouken and Gouki ended the match.

"Turned out I cracked my ankle," Chun Li explained. "To tell you the truth, I really didn't care. I was so exhausted, I passed out. When I woke up the next day, Ryu was there.

"Groaning to herself, Chun Li opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Ryu, seated in a chair, looking out the window. He then turned his attention back to her. "You're finally awake. You slept like the dead," he said with a lopsided grin.

Chun Li noticed that Ryu was in casual clothes: a black T-shirt and denim pants. His arm was in a sling. Chun Li realised that she was still dressed in her tracksuit, but saw that her bruises and ankle were properly dressed and tended to.

"How long was I out?" she asked, sitting up. She then noticed that her hair was undone.

"A day." He smiles at her again, a complete contrast to the fighting machine that has bested her twice in combat. "I really should thank you, Inspector. It's been a while since someone's made me fight with my all."

"Chun Li," she replied. "My name is Chun Li."

"Chun Li..." Ryu repeated. "'Beautiful Spring.' Nice name." Off her surprised look, Ryu continued. "Yes, I speak Chinese. I also speak English, Korean, Brazilian Portuguese." He motioned to her bandaged ankle. "You cracked your ankle in our last match. You need some time to heal." He stood up. "Consider youself a guest of the Ansatsuken Dojo. If you need anything, feel free to ask." He pointed to a pair of crutches nearby. "Those are for you, should you need to get around the place."

Chun Li reclined against the rock. "To tell you the truth, I really didn't know why I decided to stay after my ankle healed," she said, smiling. "There was something...different about him, aside the fact that he was Japanese. Falling for him was the last thing I had planned, but I did."

Everyone was now interested in the story that Chun Li was telling her.

"We got married in a private ceremony in America," Chun Li explained. "Afterwards, I settled my affairs in Hong Kong and moved here. I suggested to him that we should open a school for martial arts here and he agreed."

Motoko couldn't hear any more and quickly departed from the hotsprings.

"Sorry about Motoko," Kitsune apologized. "Her sister had relinquished her position as shihan and left the school to her."

Chun Li feigned surprise. "I didn't know that," she said. Having worked numerous undercover cases had allowed her to lie with a straight face. "It must be hard for her."

'I should get an award for this,' Chun Li thought. ' I could give Fei a run for his money with acting.'

"So how long are you going to be the manager?" Naru asked.

"Two months," Chun Li replied, "but my husband is also coming and we will split the responsibilities of running the dorm. He is also good at construction repair. He's taught me some of it, but he enjoys working with his hands."

'Just what we need,' Naru thought darkly. 'Another man inside the dorm.'

"As I've said," Chun Li replied, "he will be here along with Keitaro tomorrow." She stood up and stepped out of the hot springs, Kitsune eyeing Chun Li's curves with a slightly envoius glare. Chun Li took her bathrobe and slipped it over her shoulders. Wrapping a towel around her head, she bid her tenants farewell and left the hotspring.

As soon as she left, Kitsune pounted. "No fair. Her chest is bigger than mine."

Naru sighed. "I don't know, Kitsune. There's something about her that makes me...uneasy."

In the coming days, Naru would find out that she was right.