Expectations

Splash.

A shock of cold water hit me like a slap to the face, jolting me awake. My eyes shot open as I gasped, my entire body aching, muscles screaming in protest. The sharp sting of the water dragged me back to reality, and I blinked through the haze, struggling to regain my bearings. The dull throb in my head reminded me of exactly where I was and what had just happened.

"Fuck," I muttered instinctively, wincing as the pain rippled through me.

Above me, looming like a shadow, stood Yuujiro, a bucket still dripping in his hand. His expression was one of casual amusement, like a man who had just woken up a lazy child instead of someone he had knocked out cold just minutes ago. I was still in the same spot I'd been when I was knocked unconscious, the weapons I had tried to use against him scattered nearby.

"Don't use language like that," Yuujiro said, his voice sharp but tinged with jest. "You actually managed to surprise me." He smirked, tossing the empty bucket aside with a clang. "To think you tried taking out your future siblings." His words were laced with humor, though I could feel the underlying mockery in his tone. He wasn't mad—if anything, he seemed entertained.

I slowly pushed myself off the ground, every part of my body protesting. My muscles felt like they had been torn apart and sewn back together. But I gritted my teeth, refusing to show weakness in front of him. Not again.

My mind raced as I tried to process what he had just said. Siblings? Did he mean—? Of course, he did. I hadn't even thought about it like that when I'd aimed the shuriken at him. It was a low blow, and I had taken it. But the fact that he found it amusing, that he was talking about it like it was a joke, only made it more surreal.

"Get up," he commanded, his voice cutting through my thoughts. "We're still not done."

I managed to get to my feet, my legs shaky but holding. The weight of the situation pressed down on me. My father—Yuujiro Hanma—was standing before me, his presence still overwhelming, but I wasn't going to let it crush me. Not this time.

Yuujiro's smirk didn't fade. He crossed his arms over his chest, his towering frame casting a long shadow. "I want you to use what you've learned on me," he said. His voice had an edge to it, one that told me this wasn't a request—it was an order. "I won't fight back."

I stared at him, barely able to believe what I was hearing. He wasn't going to fight back? He wanted me to hit him? I wasn't sure if it was some kind of test or if he was just toying with me again, but I knew better than to question him.

"You'll be here with me for about four, maybe five years," Yuujiro continued, his eyes narrowing as he gauged my reaction. "If you don't die." His words were delivered with the same casualness as everything else he said, but they carried a weight that made my stomach twist.

Four to five years. Under Yuujiro's training. I knew what that meant. This wasn't going to be anything like the training I had done before with Doppo, Shibukawa, or Motobe. This would be survival. I would either come out stronger than I had ever imagined, or I wouldn't come out at all.

I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry. The reality of it all was sinking in, but I wasn't about to let him see my hesitation. This was Yuujiro's game, and I had to play it—no matter how dangerous it was.

"You want me to keep fighting you," I said, my voice steady despite the pounding in my head. "For the next few years."

He nodded, his expression unreadable. "That's right. but if you want to survive me, you'll have to learn a lot more."

My mind raced. I didn't know if I could survive five years of this. Training with Yuujiro, pushing myself beyond anything I'd ever known—it seemed impossible. But what choice did I have? This was my path now. There was no going back.

"You'll learn faster than you think," Yuujiro said, almost as if he could read my mind. His voice softened slightly, though it still carried that same dangerous edge. "I'll make sure of it. Just try not to die too soon."

There was no kindness in his words—just the cold reality of what I had signed up for. But somewhere, deep in the recesses of my mind, I felt a spark of something else. Excitement. This was what I had wanted, wasn't it? To grow stronger. To face the greatest challenge of my life. Yuujiro Hanma was the strongest man on Earth, and he was going to train me. Whether it was to break me or to mold me into something greater, I didn't know. But either way, I would find out.

"I won't die," I said quietly, my voice filled with a quiet resolve that surprised even me. "I'll survive."

Yuujiro's smirk returned, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of something in his eyes—approval, maybe, or something close to it. "We'll see," he said, "now attack me!"

I was ready.

Emi Pov:

Baki has been very distant lately. I can't pretend I haven't noticed it. There's a coldness in him now, something that wasn't there before, and it worries me more than I'm willing to admit. He's so young, still just a child, and yet he feels so far away. I wonder if I started the training too soon, pushed him too hard, too quickly. But what choice did I have? He's not an ordinary child—he's a Hanma.

I do love him. More than anything, I want what's best for him. But it's hard. It's so hard. Sometimes, it seems like he doesn't like me at all, and the distance between us feels like a chasm I don't know how to cross. He's changed so much in such a short time—grown up faster than I expected. His eyes, once filled with curiosity, are now sharp, focused. There's a weight to him that wasn't there before. I can feel it.

Maybe the training was too much. Too soon. I thought it would help him—thought it would make him stronger, more prepared for the world he's destined to live in. But now, I wonder if it's driving him away from me. I didn't think it would be like this. I thought we'd bond through it, that I could help guide him, mold him into the man he's meant to be. But the truth is, I'm not sure if I know him anymore.

He's so smart—smarter than any child should be at his age. Nothing like the baby I thought he'd be. It's almost unnatural, the way he understands things, the way he absorbs knowledge. I know it's the Hanma blood working in him. Yuujiro's blood. It's making him into something different, something more. And I'm proud of him, I am, but it's also terrifying. He's not like other children. He's something far more dangerous, far more powerful.

I've tried to connect with him, to be there for him, but every time I try, it feels like he's slipping further away. I wonder if he resents me for the training, for pushing him so hard. I thought it was the right thing to do—giving him the best training the world could offer, surrounding him with the strongest martial artists I could find. But those trainers… the ones Baki told me about… they were brutal. More brutal than I expected.

I looked into their backgrounds after Baki mentioned them, and though I trust their abilities, it's clear their methods are harsh. But I trust Baki, and more than that, I trust his blood. I trust the strength he inherited from Yuujiro. If any other child had gone through what Baki's gone through, they wouldn't have survived it. I wouldn't have survived it. But Baki isn't any other child. He's a Hanma.

Still, I can't help but wonder—did I make the right choice? Was this the path Baki was meant to take, or did I push him too far too fast? I wanted him to be strong, to be ready for Yuujiro, but now I wonder if I've done more harm than good.

Yuujiro. I'll be seeing him again soon. My heart beats faster at the thought. It's been so long since we've been in the same space, and even though I know how dangerous he is, how cold and terrifying, I can't help but feel that pull. That undeniable force he has over me. I wonder how long he'll stay this time. He never stays long. He's a storm, blowing in and out of our lives whenever he feels like it. But I need him. I need him to see what Baki has become, what his bloodline has created.

He'll be surprised. I was.

When I first started Baki's training, I thought we'd focus on the basics—strengthening his body, improving his flexibility. I didn't expect him to progress the way he did. He was always strong, of course, but the way he pushed through the training, the way he handled everything those trainers threw at him—it shocked me. He never complained. Never broke. And those trainers—they were relentless. I didn't expect them to be so harsh, so unforgiving. But Baki survived it. He grew from it.

The more I watched him, the more I realized—he's not a normal child. He's something else entirely. Something greater. Every time he trained, every time he pushed himself to his limits, I saw a glimpse of what he's becoming. It's terrifying, but it's also thrilling. This is what it means to have Hanma blood.

I wonder if Yuujiro will be proud. I wonder if he'll see what I see—that Baki is special, that he's different. He's not just another fighter. He's not just another child. He's a Hanma, and he's going to be something incredible. I've done everything I can to prepare him, but I know that now, with Yuujiro back, things are going to change. Baki's training will become something far more intense, far more dangerous. And I won't be able to protect him anymore.

But that's the path we chose, isn't it? To raise Baki in Yuujiro's image, to mold him into the ultimate fighter. The strongest on Earth. It's what Yuujiro wants, and deep down, it's what I want too. I want Baki to be powerful, to be someone who can stand beside Yuujiro. Maybe that's why I pushed him so hard. Maybe that's why I've done everything I can to make him stronger.

Will he hate me for it?