Hakusho: Parenthood

Chapter 16: O stands for Outstanding

March 25, 2013 — April 5, 2013

Ever since the start of spring break, everyone decided that now was a good enough time for them to start training their children at Genkai's temple. They were old enough to be able to handle much more rigorous exercise, and young enough to get certain fighting styles and energy techniques ingrained into their bodies. As expected, there had been some setbacks, but the end results were outstanding enough to overshadow those setbacks.

Minamino (Beach)

"Get up! You think we wouldn't notice when you're not taking this seriously!" Shizuru shouted, the small sphere of golden energy in her hand dispersed and she placed her hands on her hips with a disapproving scowl. "I've seen you serious before and this isn't it."

"When it comes to training, we are no longer your parents, instead we are your mentors and obstacles." Kurama explained as he lowered his rose whip. "Like any possible future enemies, you can't expect us to take it easy on you. You showed incredible progress when Jin taught you how to better control your wind attacks. You need to make use of that progress when in a battle, not to mention bettering yourself at physical combat and forethought if in a situation where you're unable to use your abilities. Giving up so soon after getting caught off guard will do you no good."

"Che...Yeah, yeah...I understand." Hibiki pushed himself up in a sitting position and shook the sand out of his hair. He was covered in a few cuts and bruises—none severe—and a few areas of his clothing were ripped and battered. Wind picked up around him, lifting sand along with it which concealed the boy completely as he slowly hovered back up in the air accompanied by dark blue energy. With Jin as his mentor, Hibiki was able to strengthen and gain better control of his wind abilities; he could slice people from a far, blow people away (but only if he used most of his energy, which can be exhausting for him), and fly at a quicker pace. During the third day, Hibiki seemed to have gained a new skill. When he was thrown out from the air and into the ground by one of Jin's aerial attacks, he had gotten so frustrated that the grass beneath him died due to having its energy drained, helping Hibiki regain the energy he lost. They were saving perfecting that (possibly risky) ability for after the rest of the training was done for stability purposes. If they crammed different types of training in one day then that could negatively impact Hibiki's progress.

Kurama raised his rose whip once more with a deceptively sweet smile. "Hopefully you will show us much more satisfactory results."

Shizuru brushed her hair behind an ear before her hands glowed. "Slack off again and we're shortening your break hours."

A loud groan of disdain was the preteen's reply from within the mini tornado of sand. Shizuru rolled her eyes, muttering "Brat", while Kurama chuckled. From close by, floating cross-legged in the air, Jin watched the entire scene play out. A fang poked out of his mouth as he grinned. This family dynamic will never get old for him.

"No time for dilly-dallying! Make Mentor Jin proud!"

There wasn't an answer, but the tornado grew in height and increased in speed after Jin's shout.

Kuwabara (Temple)

"Breath. Keep a clear mind. When it comes to elemental powers, too much emotion, especially rage, can cause it to become destructive and uncontrollable. Focus all your energy on your hands." Yukina instructed as she tenderly fixed Ayako's stance.

The entire room was entirely covered in ice. Mother and daughter stood in the middle of the room. Yukina was dressed in a simple kimono while Ayako was a little more bundled up. Visible puffs of air materialized with every breath the young half-demon took. She knelt down, pressing her hands on the floor, the tips of her fingers purplish-red and frosted. Demons that control ice didn't have to worry much about overusing their abilities. Humans that control ice were much more susceptible to hypothermia and illness from overuse. Half-demons that control ice are similar to humans in that using too much of their powers can cause damage to their bodies, but unlike humans, they have tougher skin and a stronger immune system so they're able to use those powers for an extended period of time. Ayako's eyes crinkled as she tightly shut them, concentrating all of her lilac energy into her hands. Spikes of ice steadily rose up from the frosted tatami mats. Leaning against the door frame and dressed in winter clothes, Kazuma diligently watched the session.