Ch. 5 - Wise words of a master

For the whole day, Jin served many customers. Thanks to Jin Kazama's Template, he barely sweated.

"Woaahh! How did you do all those without having a break! As expected from the Dragon Warrior!" While closing up the shop, Po started conversing with Jin, who was cleaning and sweeping the floor.

"I'm just built different." Jin said while flexing his muscles.

"Awesome!" Po exclaimed excitedly.

After a few minutes of sweeping and cleaning the tables, Mr. Ping finally locked the gates and led Jin to his room.

"This will be where your room is. It used to be Po's room but he got so big I had to renovate the house and make another room bigger than this just for Po." Mr. Ping said, teasing Po as he tapped on his belly.

"Dad!" Po embarrassingly covered his belly while calling out to his dad.

"Ooh, don't be shy. One's beauty comes in all shapes and sizes! Look at Jin! He looks so skinny!" Mr. Ping comforted Po, while using Jin to set an example.

"Your dad is right. Not the skinny part but beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. Don't be discouraged about your size, Po. Some day, you'll be put in a situation where you could take your size to your advantage." Jin walked to Po and patted his shoulder. Nope, he's definitely not referring to Tai Lung's Nerve Attack technique where he managed to paralyze the Furious Five except for Po, due to his fat.

"How would my fat be used in Kung Fu?" Po said while shaking his belly fat.

"Someday, Po. Someday." Jin smiled and patted his shoulder before entering the room but not before expressing his gratitude to Mr. Ping.

"Thanks for giving me temporary home, Mr. Ping. I truly appreciate it!" Jin slightly bowed and said.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that. I just hoped you could be friends with my son, here. Ever since he was a kid no one wants to be friends with him!" Mr. Ping said in a sad tone.

"Don't worry, Mr. Ping. I would be honored to be Po's friend." Jin smiled at hearing a bit of Po's backstory and agreed to become Po's friend.

"Well, that's all for today. Good night, Jin." Mr. Ping said before walking away.

"Hey uh, thanks for your help in the shop today. I managed to rest early and not get too tired today thanks to you. And uh..." Po thanked him first before stopping a bit. Jin could tell that Po was shy to say the next words.

"Thanksforbeingmyfriend." Po spoke quickly before closing the door and left.

"Heh." Jin chuckled before finding the bed and laid down.

"It's a brand new world, huh?" Jin said while staring at the ceiling.

"Maybe I should train today. I want to see how much I improved tomorrow when I see the percentage." Jin said before getting out of the bed before he started doing push-ups.

"1....2....3....4.....5....6.....7....8...."

***

While Jin decided to work out, Master Shifu found Master Oogway in his usual spot, The Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom. You might think that the name is an exaggeration since the tree looks like a normal peach tree. However, since it was Master Oogway who named it, then perhaps the tree truly deserves its name.

"You have come, my friend." While meditating with his eyes closed, Master Oogway already sensed Master Shifu's presence in a distance.

"We should choose a new Dragon Warrior. The weird teen that you picked has backed out. He doesn't deserve to be the Dragon Warrior considering how cowardly he is on taking the responsibility of the Dragon Warrior." Still holding a slight grudge on Jin, Master Shifu snarled.

"Is it? Or perhaps someone has insulted him, forcing him to back out because he thinks that no one wants him to be the Dragon Warrior." Master Oogway said with a smile, making Master Shifu whistle and look anywhere except Master Oogway.

"I am everywhere, my friend. He is just as confused as I was before I started my journey."

"You do?" Although Master Shifu has long known Master Oogway, there are still some things that he doesn't know about him.

"Of course. Choosing a path can indeed be a difficult task. But remember, my friend, the hardest paths often lead to the most beautiful destinations." Master Oogway said as he glanced at the sky.

"But master, that boy is not confused! He's doubting about the credibility of being the Dragon Warrior!" Master Shifu reacted a bit aggressively.

"Doubt is a natural companion on the path of greatness. It is how we respond to that doubt that truly matters. Remember, the Dragon Warrior is not chosen by accident. The universe sees something within you that you may not see in yourself." Master Oogway responded wisely, making Master Shifu stop and look down on the ground, contemplating.

Master Oogway saw this and smiled naturally before inhaling and exhaling.

"I saw something within that boy. His path will be full of obstacles but he will emerge as the winner. There is no accident, it is all part of their destiny." Master Oogway said for the last time before closing his eyes and meditated once again, looking like a statue, showing off an aura that he won't be talking about it anymore.

Master Shifu looked down on the cliff and saw the Valley of Peace illuminated by the light of the lanterns.

"There is no accident but it is part of their destiny." Master Shifu said in a sad tone, remembering a certain memory that he wished to forget.

"....Tai Lung." Master Shifu muttered with great regret in his voice. Unknown to him, Master Oogway opened his left eye and glanced at Master Shifu's back before closing them again.

***

As the sun rises in the east, Mr. Ping woke up and as usual, he went to the kitchen to prepare and cook.

However, as he got there, he was surprised to see Jin had already brought out the kitchen utensils and especially, the wok!

"Jin? You're up already?" Mr. Ping grabbed the apron on the wall on his side before wearing it.

"Oh, good morning, Mr. Ping. I'm quite a morning person." Jin responded with a shrug on his shoulder.

"That's good, then you'll be able to help me open up! Po always wakes up so late! I don't know what kept him at night that causes him to wake up late." Mr. Ping sighed and said.

Jin just chuckled and for the next few minutes, Mr. Ping has finally cooked the soup and slices the dough into noodles.

"Time to open up, Po- I mean Jin!" Mr. Ping clapped his hands and corrected himself when his tongue slipped.

"Okay." Jin didn't mind the slip of tongue, so he just nodded his head and opened the wooden gate.

'I guess Mr. Ping's Noodle Shop is quite famous.' Jin said to himself as pigs, rabbits and other animals started walking in and taking up tables.

Taking out a pen and paper, Jin started taking orders from the customers.

***

Walking back to the Training Halls, Master Shifu encountered his students, the Furious Five.

"Master!" They all bowed down to him as Tigress spoke.

"How is it, Master? Will there be a new Dragon Warrior chosen?" As she spoke, Master Shifu sighed.

"No. Master Oogway has insisted on that boy." Master Shifu said, making the Furious Five speechless.

"You mean the boy who refused to take the responsibility of the Dragon Warrior? What did Master Oogway even see on him." Monkey asked and said.

"Never doubt Master Oogway's choices. Every move he makes is a wise move." Master Shifu lectured strictly.

"We must find the boy and bring him back to the Jade Palace. Master Oogway said that he is confused on the path he should take. And it is our job to help him." Master Shifu said, before instructing in a loud voice.

"Now, go back and train first!"

"Yes, Master!" They straightened up and bowed before going back to the training hall.

As the others trained in their respective specialties, Tigress went to the Wooden Dummy and started training on it.

While at it, Tigress's face shows confusion and slight anger. She should have been the Dragon Warrior by now if it wasn't for that weird boy who suddenly crashed.

Speaking of the weird guy, Tigress was having a hard time sleeping last night due to the boy's face always appearing in her mind. Tigress doesn't know what was happening to her but she just registered it as a nightmare or something similar to it.

Being in deep thoughts, Tigress failed to deflect one of the Wooden Dummy's strikes.

"Hiss!" The Wooden Dummy hits her in the face as she hissed in pain, mostly due to the surprise. Thankfully, she has trained enough to the point that she only felt a slight pain.

'I must improve! And show the Masters that I deserve to be the Dragon Warrior!' With determination filling her face, Tigress punched the wooden dummy with more force than before.

*Bang!*

With her incredible strength, her entire fist pierced through the wooden dummy, garnering the attention of the other Masters.

"Tigress? Are you okay?" As Tigress was known to be the strongest among all of them, Viper was obviously afraid when she asked.

"I'm fine. Thank you." Tigress replied as she removed the splinters on her knuckles.

"Okay." Viper nodded her head and went back to training.

The other Masters took this as a sign to go back to training, so they did.

"Hah..." Tigress sighed and removed the wooden dummy and replaced it with another one.

Unknown to her, her every move was caught by Master Oogway, who smiled unknowingly. Seeming as if he knows what Tigress is feeling earlier.

"Ahhh....Youth."

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