WOLF's BANE {D. LaRusso} || COMPLETED ✅

chapter 20. the moment of truth

𝕊𝕠𝕟𝕘 𝕤𝕖𝕝𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟: 𝔽𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕝 ℂ𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕥𝕕𝕠𝕨𝕟 𝕓𝕪 𝔼𝕦𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖
***
DANIEL HAD STUDIED his next moves carefully. They were called Co and Ju. He had worked on his kata for a few good hours until he felt like he could do it in his sleep. Mr. Miyagi helped him and worked with him every second. He was determined to help him win this tournament. Mike Barnes wasn't going down without a fight, and neither was Terry Silver. So Daniel was getting prepared.

He had learned a bunch of new techniques of soft karate, how to kick, duck, block and punch. Mr. Miyagi was training him with what he should have been learning the whole time. Trying to undo the work Silver brainwashed him with.

Daniel knew that, on the opposite side of the town Barnes was smashing wood and turning bricks into powder dust. Maybe that technique worked for some people, but it wasn't meant for Danny. He practiced his ducks. He spent time meditating with Mr. Miyagi. They worked hard on Daniel's training to make sure he would win.

Then on a Sunday, the shop had been closed. Since they both had off that day, they went on a very important trip together. They returned the natural bonsai to its home on the cliff of Devil's Cauldron.

They had hung ropes fastened at the top of the cliff just as Danny had done with Darcy. Mr. Miyagi dug a new hole for the tree. He replanted it inside. Danny was happy to see the tree back where it belonged. The broken branch was doing fine, and there was fresh needles all around it. It was hard for Danny to believe that it was the same tree, but it was.

"Tree has strong root now. So do you, Daniel-San." Mr. Miyagi had told him as he patted the earth around the tree's roots. "And like tree chooses how it grows, so you, too can now choose how you grow. Take what you learn and make it work for you."

"I feel like I don't know anything though," Danny admitted.

"That is always the first step to knowing something. I have faith in you, Daniel-San." Mr. Miyagi began inching back up the cliff. As he went ahead, Danny stayed behind for a second and looked over at the tree. He felt guilty to think of what almost happened to it because of him. "Sorry," he said to the tree.

A breeze brushed the branches of the bonsai then. They moved gently in the wind. Danny thought they almost looked like they were saying goodbye to him. He knew it would be okay. He knew it could take care of itself in nature, where it belongs.
***
IT WAS FINALLY time. The night of the tournament was here. Danny and Mr. Miyagi entered the arena just in time to hear the announcer tell the audience that Terry Silver was opening up a whole chain of Cobra Kai dojos. The audience cheered loudly for this. A lot of them were wearing the free Cobra Kai T shirts that were being handed out into the stands.

Danny had turned one down when it was offered to him. They watched the next round, and up was Mike. Of course, he won the match. It made Danny sick to see how Mike beat his opponent, as if he were really an enemy, not just a high school kid. He started to have second thoughts about this. Maybe this wasn't a good idea. This kid seemed tougher than Johnny Lawrence.

Karate was a sport. It was supposed to be fun and it had helped Danny learn a lot about life. It could be used to defend honor or for protection.

Those were the good things about it. And there were some people who used it for the wrong reasons. They had used it to attack, hurt and destroy. That wasn't what karate was for. Danny understood that this match with Mike was more than a match between two karate students.

It was a match that would determine what kind of karate would be taught and learned in the Valley as the main way for a long time. Danny had to win. Mike Barnes was tough. Danny knew that though. But he had to be tougher. It was finally time for their match. Danny's anxiety rose inside him and he grew more and more nervous by the second.

The referee reminded them of the rules of the match before they began. Every match started and ended with a bow. Danny bowed, and then Mike bowed. Right away Mike had scored. Danny couldn't believe how fast he was. He had no time to be able to block or duck his blows!

Mike attacked again, but this time he hit Danny below the waist and lost a point. He knew that would happen, but he felt it was deserved. Danny could see that Mike's face was red with fury. It was frightening to him, and didn't help the anxiety he had already.

Mike charged again for him, and Danny tried to block the kick, but Mike attacked his ribs when he got the chance. It really hurt. Mike won a point, but it was lost when he tried another illegal punch and the referee caught him. The referee called for a time out, finally.

"I can't beat him, Mr. Miyagi," Danny says as he comes over to him during the time out. "You got this Danny!" A familiar voice had called out to him from the stands. Danny and Mr. Miyagi looked up to see Darcy, she was there in the stands to support him. Danny couldn't have felt happier in that moment. "Darcy!! Hey, what are you doing here?" He asks as she comes over to them. "I came here to support you, dummy!" She smiles.

Danny smiled widely, feeling grateful to have her on his side. "You didn't have to come, but thanks. It means a lot to me." Danny smiled. "Of course, I wouldn't miss this. Also I was kinda bored today, I didn't have much going on." She shrugged, as Danny chuckled a little.

They exchanged a hug quickly. "Daniel-San. You must beat him," Mr. Miyagi steps in to remind him. "I know, but...you need to give me a secret technique or something! I cant beat him on my own," Danny sighed. "Everything you need, Daniel-San, you have. Remember lesson of natural bonsai. Tree with strong roots chooses own way to grow. Like tree, you have strong root. Follow own way. Remember go and ju. Hard and soft. And remember, Daniel-San. All karate is found in kata."

"Thanks, Mr. Miyagi." He smiled at his friend and Darcy before the match resumes. "Good luck! Take him down!!" Darcy called out to him as he went back out on the mat. Mike only knew one kind of karate—violent karate.

Danny then realized, he could beat him with his knowledge! He could win by being soft. The ref called for the match to start again. The score was tied at zero to zero. Because the buzzer had already sounded, the match was now in "sudden death" overtime. That meant the first person to score a point would be the winner.

Mike charged for Danny. Danny stepped aside easily. Mike flew past him and out of the ring. The crowd laughed and cheered. Mike charged for him again. Danny rolled out of the way and bounced back up to his feet. "I'm gonna kill you!" Mike hissed at Danny. That's just what Danny wanted to hear.

The angrier Mike got, the harder he'd fight, and the easier it would be to beat him by being soft! Danny began to do his kata. The root of all karate, as Mr. Miyagi had told him earlier. He knew the movements so well he almost didn't have to think about it.

Mike had to clearly think a lot, though. He was very perplexed by Danny's display. He tried to punch and kick, but no matter how hard he attacked, when he got there Danny wasn't quite there. Danny's moves were so smooth and so quick that Mike couldn't even lay a finger on him!

Mike lunged for a final time. Danny shifted his weight and moved a fraction of an inch. Mike's punch landed on thin air. Danny spun around and delivered a side hammer blown right to his target. Mike didn't even know what hit him, but everyone else did.

"Point! LaRusso! Winner!" The referee announced. He did it! He won! Danny felt so relieved and happy at that moment, he was seriously doubting himself and his abilities the whole time. But turns out, Mr. Miyagi was right. He did have it in him. Darcy came running over to him as the crowd cheered, wrapped her arms around him, and placed a passionate kiss onto his lips.

Danny was shocked, but smiled into the kiss as he kissed her back. "You were amazing! I knew you could do it—we knew you could do it, right Mr. Miyagi?" Darcy smiles at him, as he nods. "Thanks guys, I seriously couldn't have done it without you both honestly." Danny says, smiling to Darcy.

"Now what do you say we go out and celebrate with a date night?" He asks her. She smiled and blushed in return. "I'd love to." With that, he took her hand and they left for their date night celebration party of Danny's karate victory.
***
A/N: ahhh!!! We're finally completed with this fanfic, this was the last chapter! How did y'all like this story? Let me know in the comments & if y'all would want another danny fanfic! Please pm with ideas if you have any! Thanks so so much for reading and for all the support! Love y'all!
❤️❤️❤️
~vintage80ss