The Great Kharlan

*This ones a long One*


Uchiha had stretched himself out, reclining nice and lazily on Master Roshi's couch. It seemed to him lately he was becoming a bit of a test for Roshi's newest pupils. Though in actuality he'd only had to spar two of them. Uub and Yajirobe. Both of whom displayed a certain amount of skill and power, and in all honesty had a lot of potential. This was fine though, along with Junior, and several others who sopped by Kame House to train, it meant that he had more people to test his skills with and a greater challenge to his personal strength. He'd have to work hard to prevent them from becoming stronger than him.

"Get up, boy!" The Invincible Old Master commanded, kicking over the comfortable piece of furniture.

"Bwah!" Uchiha shouted as he landed without grace on the floor, thankful the couch hadn't flopped over onto him. "What's the big idea!?" He shouted at the aged master.

"You came here to train, not watch TV. Now let's get to work before you end up getting sloppy!" Roshi declared as he picked Uchiha up by the back of his shirt. "And believe me, today's drills are gonna be a real killer." He told the young warrior with a smile.

When Uchiha had once again found himself on the training island, the old master had quickly bound Uchiha's hands and feet each to a separate large rock before forcing him to try and sprint the length of the beach. Naturally, while his pupil was undergoing this first part of the arduous training, the rocks being pulled along behind him at a slow but steady pace, pulling through the sand.

"At...this rate...I might as well...be plowing fields!" Uchiha grunted.

"I usually make the new trainees do that." Roshi commented idly, flipping the page of his latest magazine. "You're lucky, I gave you the advanced course." He laughed before pushing his sunglasses back up to look at the picture on that page.

"Yeah...yeah..." The young trainee grunted, trying to pull the rocks as quickly as his body would allow him to.

Uchiha puffed as he struggled, still dragging the rocks behind him as he made his pass back towards Roshi. By this time he had done enough laps to scrape through the sand on the beach to the larger stones that had yet to wear down. "There...has got to be...an easier way to do this." The young warrior panted, leaning as far forward as he was able, his calves screaming at him in anger as the rocks moved forward only a little bit.

"When it comes to martial arts 'the easy way' is NOT how you want to go." Roshi chastised Uchiha from his spot on his own rock, the sun was high into the air, and with a certain amount of interest he was watching his pupil now. True, he could probably use a break, but the old master was curious how far the young martial artist could and would push himself for his training.

Fortunately, Uchiha did not disappoint as he forced himself to continue, stone grating over stone as he walked onward. This walk however, was interrupted not soon after by a voice from one of the small sand dunes that had formed on the beach.

"I see where your reputation has developed, young warrior." A man spoke up. He wore what seemed to be the robes of a Shinto priest, his hands held in front of his chest, placed together in a prayer position. His face was at once serene and yet hardened. "There are indeed few who take to the training of Kame Sen'nin so...vigorously."

"Have we...met?" Uchiha inquired, taking this moment to give himself a short break from the current exercise Roshi was putting him through. The man was speaking as if he and Uchiha had some prior knowledge of one another, but so far as the Turtle school pupil was aware, he had never encountered this man before.

"Forgive me for my rudeness." He chuckled, letting his hands fall to his sides. "I am the priest Wan-Lo. I have come on behalf of the Temple of Kharlan." He added with a small smile. "We have heard stories of your strength from the locals, and as the Temple of Kharlan is a warrior sect, we had hoped to bring you to see our temple, and perhaps bring you into our fold as a pupil, and maybe a teacher."

Uchiha blinked several times in his confusion before looking at Master Roshi. The aged martial artist seemed anxious about something. As though part of Wan-Lo's story bothered him, but the young warrior couldn't figure out what had his teacher on edge.

"Well...I suppose I could check it out. Some more training is usually a good idea, right Master?"

Roshi stayed silent for a moment, eying the priest. "Yes...yes, I suppose it is, Uchiha..."

Uchiha wasn't entirely certain where the 'temple of Kharlan' would be, but he figured it had to be close considering this man had heard of Uchiha's 'reputation' which, so far as he knew, was pretty impressive but confined to only a few remote locations. Of course, all bets were off when he and Master Roshi were lead to a modestly sized boat off of the docks. The structure was a motorboat, looking as though it was sized to send a small group of people on a trip of at least a modest length. The young warrior and the hermetic martial arts master looked at one another before taking their seats on the boat, each finding their own thoughts preoccupied by the group that had come to summon Uchiha to meet with them.

Wan-Lo, however, seemed largely unconcerned with his two guests' thoughts as he turned on the motor, guiding the boat along the calm seas, looking up occasionally at the lightly clouded sky. "It's a good day for a trip." He spoke nonchalantly to both of his passengers.

Indeed, the weather was nice, despite the clouds it was pleasantly warm, even on the ocean they were traveling. It didn't take long for the island to recede into the distance, and from Master Roshi's expression, Uchiha had to guess that the father away from familiar territory they went, the more anxious the old master was feeling. In the back of his mind, the young warrior had to wonder what Kame Sen'nin knew that he didn't.

Still, the ride itself was pleasant enough, occasional fish jumping out of the water, the warm sunlight cascading over them. If it wasn't for the small boat, which didn't seem to bad until one was confined in it for a while, it would have been perfect. Still it was a nice day, no reason they couldn't enjoy that.

Temple of Kharlan, huh? Uchiha thought to himself. Never heard of them. Though he did say they were some kind of warrior monk group. Maybe there's another demon on the loose? At the idea of having to fight yet another demon, Uchiha shuddered a little. The last one had been trouble enough. The young warrior could only look on into the distance as he considered just what this mysterious sect of holy men could want with himself and Master Roshi.

"So," Uchiha spoke up as the trip was dragging on. "what kind of God is 'Kharlan'?" The youth asked of the priest known was Wan-Lo. His curiosity was slowly getting the better of him, to the point of overwhelming little things like manners. And perhaps, eventually, it may overcome his common sense. But for now, manners were the only victim of his mindset.

Rather than annoyed however, the priest seemed amused as he turned in his seat to look back at Uchiha. "Kharlan isn't a God per se, but more of a force or an avatar. It is an incarnation of strength that blessed the strongest of men in the past, giving them the power to overcome great adversity and overpower their foes in battle."

"So, 'Kharlan' is responsible for people like Olibu?" Gosai inquired with an arched eyebrow. That was certainly one interpretation of the myth he'd never heard before. However, off to the side, realization was ever so slowly etching on Master Roshi's features. However, this went unnoticed by the young man, his attention focused upon the priest.

"Yes, that is one way to interpret it. Olibu was a man of determination and the Kharlan enhanced that determination, that drive and that power that was natural to Olibu and with that, he was to become the first of Earth's mighty champions. And he would end up the ancestor or mentor to many others, including the founder of our temple." Wan-Lo spoke with a simplicity and belief in his words it seemed difficult to argue with his statements.

Of course, Uchihai's curiosity was only piqued further by the priest's response. "Wait...you said 'Kharlan' wasn't a God, that it was a force, but you're talking about it like it's sentient..."

"Just because something takes a surprising form doesn't take away from it's potential mind, nor can you claim there are not forces in this world that are sentient. They could simply be...unknowable to mankind. Discerning the mysteries of the beyond, of the Kharlan is part of what my sect attempts, while at the same time we build out strength in the hope of receiving its blessing one day."

"I...suppose that makes sense." Uchiha conceded, glancing over at Master Roshi at last. "Are...you okay, sir?"

"I'm...fine." Roshi assured Uchiha, exhaling a tense breath. It didn't take much to realize Roshi was lying, but it appeared there was something on the ancient teacher's mind, taking up enough of his focus that questioning him at this time was not a wise course of action.

It wasn't long after Uchiha's discussion with the priest that the boat ride had finally come to an end, bringing master and student to another small island, perhaps half a mile or so across with thick vegetation covering much of the terrain. If one strained their eyes into the lush and densely packed jungle of the island, they could make out a small trail that lead to the interior.

Both Uchiha and Uchiha could sense the island was teeming with life. Both the bits of wildlife that the island was capable of supporting, a small population of birds and reptiles, perhaps a few local predators of slightly greater danger. But they could also feel a handful of additional powers. Much higher. These had to be the other priests, and they felt formidable enough. This was shaping up to be a very interesting trip.

"We have arrived." Wan-Lo informed the duo amiably. "My brother monks will be very interested in evaluating your skills, Uchiha. If you are brought into our fold there is much you could learn from the abbot."

"I...bet there is." He responded, following Wan-Lo off the boat, towards the short trail, and farther and father from anything conceivably similar to 'safety' and 'civilization'. The one comfort he had was he wasn't venturing into this situation alone. No, Kame Sen'nin was still there with his pupil.

And so, the two followed behind Wan-Lo. The Turtle School preparing to meet, for the first time, the temple of Kharlan. Although Uchiha hoped it would be a pleasant meeting, the tension on Roshi's features seemed at odds with his hope.

As the trio found themselves further into the thick vegetation of the jungle, the noises of the animals were becoming more pronounced, and perhaps more frightening for those unused to living with such close proximity to nature.

"I am sorry I forgot to inform you," Wan-Lo began to speak after the sunlight had become mostly filtered out of their vision. "the forest itself is sort of the...first test for potential initiates. To survive the dangers within on the trek to the temple is to prove that you retain the edge of the hunter. Of the warrior. Of one who requires their strength to make their living."

"Is...is that so?" Uchiha mumbled, glancing into the shrubbery, looking for whatever creatures may be hidden within it.

"Oh yes. The Temple must be very careful to maintain the quality of it's disciples. We even released a small population of jungle cats onto the island. Admittedly, not as many as we wished...if they over-hunted, then the cats would die out and we would likely need a new plan."

"Right." Kame Senin'in spoke up this time. "Poor cats..."

Uchiha, to his credit merely thought to himself Oooh, coming here might just have been a mistake.

Master and student didn't need to wait long before their first 'test' finally occurred. Of all animals to emerge it was a saber-toothed cat which came sniffing out of the treeline, looking between Wan-Lo, Master Roshi, and Uchiha. After a few tense moments, the feline seemed to decide which of the trio it would rather ...have for dinner so to speak.

And unfortunately, Uchiha was the lucky contestant. As the cat leaped at him, the young human did the first thing that came to mind, ducking under it's pounce before pivoting on the balls of his feet to look back at the cat as it turned, preparing for a second lunge.

This time however, Uchiha was ready, bringing up his foot in a stretch kick, be planted it firmly into the cat's chest, sending it tumbling back into the treeline with a sound between a hiss and a yowl. "Well, that wasn't too bad." He offered with a smile.

"Unfortunately," Wan-Lo spoke up from where he stood. "the saber toothed cats on this island tend to hunt in packs."

"They...what?" Uchiha and Roshi asked in a combination of nervousness and annoyance at the new information. As if that was a cue to confirm Wan-Lo's assertion however, several of the animals began emerging from the wooded areas around the trail, each of them growling at the trio.

"Oooh, this isn't good." Uchiha mumbled, assuming a defensive stance as he looked for a point to exit from.

As the jungle cats began their attempts to pounce however, Uchiha's movements were made with a speed and precision that surprised the young warrior. His blows landed deftly on the cats, sending them back to the ground, his body moved fast enough to avoid their strikes. And the ones who jumped highest found Uchiha most dangerous. His tactic for those beasts was to grab them a bit, and 'assist' their jump, throwing them high up into the air.

It hadn't taken long before the animals decided that Uchiha was not a meal worth the effort of taking down.

"Guess my training's been paying off for you after all, huh?" Roshi asked him with a smirk.

"I...ah...I guess so." Uchiha admitted, looking at the cats limping away.

Wan-Lo's comment was succinct however. "You've passed the first test it would seem. Let us hope you meet the others with similar success."

"Kind of a downer, isn't he?" Uchiha whispered to Master Roshi as they resumed their walk. The priest once more was at the head of the trio, taking the winding and poorly lit trail with the ease of one who has walked it many times.

"It isn't uncommon," Wan-Lo spoke once again. "for our monks to camp out in these jungles for weeks while seeking purification from the outside world. The challenges are survival are seen as penitence for breaking away from the path of the Kharlan."

"And...just what IS the path of the Kharlan?" Uchiha found himself compelled to ask. The more often the seemingly amiable priest talked the more nervous the young warrior became. After all, there were 'religious groups', there were 'cults', and then there was... whatever the hell this was.

"The path is many fold. It is the way of the warrior. To train one's body to perfection, to seek out worthy opponents and battle them. To seek out the perfect balance of mind, body, and spirit is the way of the Kharlan. One must hold the strongest discipline, endure the most grueling of training...and then, only when they are ready may they truly grasp the power that their bodies, and that the Kharlan is willing to give."

"Mmm, is that so?" Roshi asked, shutting his eyes for a moment as the trio walked. Even Uchiha could see something was going on in the Invincible Old Master's head. The only question was: what?

Once more the three walked in silence. Eventually, however, Uchiha began to see the trappings of civilization, if only just. The ground was worn smoother, flatter. The dirt packed tighter. Clearly a pathway used far more often than the one which he and Roshi had entered from. Ahead, a small clearing in the distance had some dim lighting, which as they approached, eventually revealed itself to be a small monastery of earth and wood, raised up from the ground itself.

The structure could hardly be called elegant, but it was serviceable for housing a few aesthetics seeking their own kind of enlightenment. It almost seemed like it could have simply been a retreat for a few would be warriors to separate from society. Unfortunately, Uchiha was becoming increasingly worried that that would not prove to be the case.

Wan-Lo remained either oblivious to the duo's misgivings about traveling here, or was intentionally ignoring them. Either way he walked forward with purpose amongst the monks. From this range, Uchiha was able to sense the strength of the monks much more easily. Even the ones with a low ki signature still held power roughly equal to Uchiha before he'd started training with Master Roshi. This didn't escape the attentions of the one time Invincible Old Master.

"You have certainly found ways to build your power." Roshi commented, glancing at a pair of monks sparring in the grass. Their speed was impressive, the few blows that landed seemed powerful enough to down most normal humans. Of course, if it wasn't obvious by now, this confirmed that these 'monks' were no normal humans.

"It is only the tip of the iceberg." Wan-Lo responded to the aged master. "Surely one of your experience can appreciate gathering the strongest together to help increase everyone's mutual strength. You yourself no doubt trained like this once."

"Once." Roshi agreed. "But that was a long time ago..."

"Ah, perhaps then we should move on and allow you to meet with the abbot of the temple?" Wan-Lo suggested, striding confidently towards the temple. Up close the structure was only a hundred or so feet tall, spread along the clearing. It looked as though it could house perhaps a few dozen trainees. And if the monks in the field and living conditions around the temple were any hint their power was indeed formidable.

"That sounds like a good idea." Uchiha nodded, walking behind Wan-Lo. His instincts were telling him to leave once more as they entered the temple. As one might have guessed, the lighting was poor, practically non-existent, coming in from slats carved into the walls of the temple. "You must be very dedicated, huh?" Uchiha inquired.

"Oh yes." Wan-Lo agreed. "As the world's technology grew, humans forgot how to fight. How to be strong, and thus we have found ourselves growing weaker as a species, more dependent on our machines. We are attempting to restore humanity to what it could be."

Uchiha arched an eyebrow. After all, he thought he was relatively powerful and he still enjoyed all of the luxuries of modern living. But, to each their own he supposed.

"Ah, we've arrived at the abbot's quarters." Wan-Lo declared, pausing before a set of crude wooden doors.

"Well, let's meet the man in charge then." Uchiha suggested.

As the doors were opened, Uchiha and Master Roshi were finally treated to their first sight of the Abbot. He certainly appeared as you would expect the head of a sect of warrior monks. The abbot was lean and clean shaven, although he seemed older he didn't display the same kind of age as Master Roshi. He sat upon a small cushion, eyes shut until Uchiha took his first step into the chambers.

"Mm, so you've brought them here have you, Wan-Lo?" The Abbot spoke up with a smile. "The 'Invincible Old Master' and his latest pupil. If you can be induced to join the temple of Kharlan it would greatly increase our own reputation and training prowess."

"Right. If." Uchiha mumbled, looking the abbot over once more. He couldn't get a good feel on the older man's power, leaving himself to wonder just where the man before him stood in terms of strength.

"I imagine Wan-Lo has informed you as to the purpose of our sect?" The abbot asked of the duo.

"Yeah. He told us the basics," the young warrior admitted. "he kind of glossed over what exactly the Kharlan is."

The abbot nodded his head slowly as Uchiha spoke. "Like many concepts, the Kharlan's nature is...difficult to grasp. Many of our disciples come here seeking only the strength our training brings, but then remained once they began to understand the nature of Kharlan."

Roshi nodded alongside Uchiha, but remained silent. His eyes narrowed upon the abbot behind his sunglasses. "Perhaps you could show us to the Kharlan?" Kame Sen'nin requested of the abbot.

"Perhaps." The elder monk nodded. "A few of our monks should be performing their prayers in the temple heart right now. Wan-Lo, why don't you show them to the Heart of Kharlan?"

"Heart of...?" Uchiha asked, blinking. "That sounds gruesome."

This statement elicited a small laugh from Wan-Lo and the abbot. "Nothing of the sort. Come, I shall show you."

The steps of the trio echoed along the hall of the temple as they walked closer to the heart of the complex, the lights grew dimmer as the slats became fewer and farther between. Eventually however another door became visible, with a lit torch on either side of it.

"Beyond this door," Wan-Lo spoke up like a tour guide. "lies the 'Heart of Kharlan'." With that as Uchiha and Master Roshi's warning, the priest began pushing open the doors, revealing the inside of the room to be lit with candles along the walls, and three monks sitting in a triangle around a small pedestal. So far as Uchiha could see, there was nothing on it however.

Roshi on the other hand was eying the pedestal suspiciously, his hands clenched at his sides, knuckles turning white from the tension. "So the stories are true after all." He whispered.

Uchiha blinked, turning to look at Master Roshi. "What stories?"

"I see you've neglected to tell your student the origins of his power, eh?" Wan-Lo chuckled at Uchiha's question.

"There was no need to tell him a myth." Kame Sen'nin retorted, not taking his eyes off of the pedestal.

"Then I suppose I shall tell him." Wan-Lo smiled. "Long before any of today's great nations existed, when mankind still lived largely at the behest of the planet there was a single great manifestation of nature...a tree known to the world as 'The Great Kharlan'. The power that radiated from this tree was intoxicating to those who could brave the journey to it. And those that succeeded found their strength increased simply by contact with the tree. These warriors were humanity's first legendary heroes. Today's warriors could not hold a candle to these men."

"However," Roshi spoke up next. "the power of the tree was to valuable to be left free. Nations and armies grew for the sole purpose of possessing the power of the tree. Battles broke out across the planet with any man, woman, and child who could hold a weapon fighting to possess it. Eventually, these battles spiraled out of control...and nearly destroyed the human race...and obliterated the Great Kharlan. The remains of the tree were fired into space, never to be seen again."

"Until now." Wan-Lo added with a smile at both Uchiha and Kame Sen'nin. "A single seed survived the resulting destruction and fell into the hands of a small handful of warriors retained the one seed and would keep it hidden for generations, waiting until the right moment to plant it again."

"And that's what's on the pedestal!?" Gosai blurted out.

"Precisely." Wan-Lo nodded.

"So...you worship a seed?" The young warrior blinked, apparently ignoring entirely the consequences of planting the seed.

"...Yes." The priest confirmed.

"...Wow."

"So, you have the seed of some monster tree and instead of planting it...you pray to the seed? That makes about as much sense as a boat built out of a sponge." Uchiha retorted, not considering the reactions that might come about from the monks in question. The three praying, as one might have expected, stopped their efforts and turned their heads to glare at Uchiha.

"Ehe...I mean...uh..." Gosai muttered, coughing into his hand.

"Oh no, I suppose it would seem that way to the uninitiated. But the power of the Kharlan is not limited simply to it's fully grown state. Even the seed possesses some power. And we have secreted it away here in preparation for the ceremony."

"Cere...mony?" Master Roshi asked, getting a sinking feeling in his chest.

"Why, yes." Wan-Lo nodded. "We intend to regrow the tree on this very island. The Kharlan will live again, and humanity shall become the most powerful species in the universe once more."

Uchiha and Master Roshi's eyes widened. Each of them had encountered their fair share of immensely powerful warriors by now, and the idea of their powers boosted even further by the Kharlan, to say nothing of the resulting wars to possess it's power send a cold shiver of terror through both of their spines.

Master Roshi was the first to act however, jabbing at Wan-Lo's solar plexus with the ball on the head of his walking stick, doubling over the priest and forcing him to gasp for air. "Uchiha! Grab the seed and run!" He shouted to his pupil.

Uchiha nodded, throwing himself at the pedestal, forcing the ki below his feet so that he wouldn't be burdened by little things like gravity and friction as he grabbed it, however, the three monks in prayer rose up in unison before leaping at Uchiha.

All three attacked Uchiha in unison, their auras flaring around them. Although not quite as strong as Uchiha himself separately, fighting in unison however they presented a formidable challenge to the young warrior, forcing him closer to the wall, cornering him as blow after blow rained onto Uchiha's body.

Letting out several grunts, the young fighter took the strikes before taking to the air with a few pants, he pointed down at one of the monks. "Dodonpa!" He shouted, the blast hitting the central fighter in his chest as Uchiha terminated the cushion of ki and dropped down, forcing more ki into his fist as he punched the one on the left in the face, combining his downward momentum and the strength of his arm.

"Not bad gentlemen, but I'm afraid Roshi and I have a planet to save!" Gosai shouted back as he smashed through the doors and down the hall again, Roshi running along behind him.

"Okay, so...do we have a plan, sir?" Uchiha called back to Roshi over his shoulder as he tucked the seed into his pocket. Having an entire temple of powerful monks gunning for their heads didn't seem like a particularly good way to go out. There really wasn't much they could do to escape though. True, Uchiha himself could fly but carrying Roshi as he did so might slow him down, and he didn't like the idea of abandoning Kame Sen'nin to the people below.

"Yes," Roshi yelled back towards Uchiha as he ran behind his pupil. "we get out of this temple and we escape. If we have to, we beat down every monk on the island!"

"Sounds like an idea." Uchiha agreed before pivoting where he stood and planting his foot against a wall. "Detonate!" He shouted, watching with satisfaction as the wall exploded outward, showing the clearing the temple was sitting in. The monks that had been training outside turned to the duo in alarm as Wan-Lo recovered enough inside the temple to bellow loud enough for everyone to hear.

"They've stolen the heart of Kharlan! Get them! Do not let them leave the island!"

"Well, damn." Uchiha groaned as a knot of fighters were advancing on them before he took a fighting stance. This time the group of four came at Uchiha and Roshi simultaneously. The old master expertly evaded their opening strikes, predicting their moves with ease before taking his signature stance. Uchiha took a different route however, letting the first blow fall on himself before grabbing his attacker's wrist and throwing him into the second assailant.

While Kame Sen'nin was powering up his Kamehameha wave, Uchiha kicked the pile of limbs before him with his another dynamite kick, the explosion sending the two monks who had attacked him rolling across the grass. Almost simultaneously, Roshi's attack landed in his first attacker, knocking him into the second and sending both through a wall of the temple.

"Well, if this is the quality of our opponents, we might be able to get out of here pretty easily." Uchiha asserted confidently, ignoring the earlier powers he had been feeling on the island.

"Let's just get moving." Roshi declared, pointing his staff skyward. "Come to me, baby Gamera!" He shouted, only to move quickly to the side, avoiding Wan-Lo's kick. "Ah, I was wondering when you'd catch up." He informed the priest with a smirk.

Wan-Lo and Master Roshi stared one another down, each having assumed his customary stance. The ancient martial arts master stabbed the point of his staff into the ground in preparation for the fight. Uchiha however had other ideas as he launched a flying knee into Wan-Lo's side before throwing the seed to Roshi.

"Get that out of here. I'll stay and fight!" He shouted as Kame Sen'nin caught the seed in his hand, giving a resolute nod to his pupil.

As the turtle like creature known as 'Baby Gamera' landed at last, the old master climbed atop the creature's shell and grabbed his staff and Baby Gamera took to the sky.

"You should not have sent away your only back up." Wan-Lo told Uchiha with grit treeth. "Especially with the Heart of Kharlan. Had you been able to give it back we might have spared your life." even as he spoke, the priest was assuming a combative stance before launching himself at Uchiha. The young warrior was able to feel the older combatant's ki at last. Their powers were very similar. In all likelihood this would come down to skill.

Reacting at the top of his speed, Uchiha threw a punch at Wan-Lo's face to intercept the monk's attack. His first blow landed, but Wan-Lo brought his leg up to knee Uchiha in the ribs. With a grunt the two separated before rushing one another again, beginning a short high speed exchange of punches and kicks, ending only when Uchiha succeeded in landing an uppercut to the monk's chin, sending him into the air.

"Dodon...pa!" The young fighter shouted, pointing his finger up at the falling body of the monk, a beam of ki impacting against his leg before he hit the ground.

However, the 'holy man' seemed to have hardly noticed the attack as he rose to his feet and swing his hand in a vicious downward arc at Uchiha's collarbone. When the blow hit, the young warrior winced as Wan-Lo came in closer, wrapping his arms around Uchiha's body and peppering his sides with knee strikes.

"All that confidence, and you're going down so easy?"

"Not...quite." Uchiha panted, charging more ki into his hands and throwing a vicious one-two punch into Wan-Lo's gut, forcing the older man to finally release him. The young fighter took his chance to jump backwards and regain his breath.

He's good. Very good. But I'm pretty sure I'm better.

While Uchiha was content to regain his breath, Wan-Lo seemed eager to continue the battle, throwing a furious combination of punches at Uchiha's chest and face. Despite his efforts to defend himself, the young warrior took several powerful blows, knocking him into the side of the temple, cracking the wooden beam he slammed into. "Okay...that hurt..." Uchiha grunted.

"It's going to hurt a lot more!" Wan-Lo yelled, rushing at Uchiha, who barely managed to duck the monk's next punch. However this blow succeeded in breaking the support beam the rest of the way, leaving it open for Wan-Lo to pull the top half of the beam off of the structure and swing it at Uchiha's back.

From the position he'd found himself in, Uchiha had been unable to avoid the strike. Taking the full force of the blow to his back, the pupil of Master Roshi was sent sprawling on the ground, willing his arms and legs to move again. I hope I didn't break something important. He thought to himself.

Wan-Lo had no intention of letting Uchiha get to his feet however, continuing to smash the wooden beam onto the dark haired fighter's body until it finally snapped a second time at the force of it. Uchiha lay motionless on the ground.

"I suppose your reputation wasn't as well deserved as we believed." Wan-Lo told him with a scowl, throwing the remaining piece of wood to the ground. His attention now absorbed on the idea of locating Master Roshi, and the seed that had left the island with him.

The young warrior gasped, still breathing but his body simply having no desire to move. "Is that...what you think?" He groaned, his lungs yelling at him in annoyance with every breath he took. Still, he couldn't let himself roll over and die, and ego demanded he not let Wan-Lo walk away either.

"You should have taken this chance to leave." The monk growled, turning back to Uchiha. "I might not have noticed until after we'd found your teacher."

"N-nah." Uchiha grunted, forcing himself to stand up, despite his body's protestations. "Why...why would I go and do that?" He asked with a smirk.

"The beating you've taken should be reason enough. You're almost dead." Wan-Lo responded casually.

"That...is where you're wrong. See...I know something you don't." Uchiha told the priest, his smirk widening.

"...And what is that?" He asked, eying Uchiha.

"I've been holding back."

"You're bluffing!" Wan-Lo asserted hotly. "There's no way you were holding back during our fight!"

"Why don't we find out?" Uchiha challenged, regaining some of his former pizazz as he took in a deep breath, focusing his energies once more, feeling the flow of ki in his body. The effort seemed to come slowly at first, but his aura seemed only minimal, a small but bright outline around his body. But as the effort continued, Uchiha's aura grew brighter and extended farther from his body.

When all was said and done, Wan-Lo took a step backwards, surprised at what he was feeling. "H-how did...where did all that strength come from!" He shouted to Uchiha.

"I've been training hard instead of waiting for a plant to make me strong." Uchiha responded, and in a surge of motion rushed at Wan-Lo. The gap between them was closed at speeds most people could have missed while blinking and the battle was re-engaged between them. However, Uchiha's speed was clearly winning out this time. Wan-Lo would throw punches, only to have them interrupted by a strike to his own chest or face.

"H-how...?" Wan-Lo gasped, trying to collect himself. "You...can't be this strong. It's...it's not possible!" He screamed, leaping at Uchiha again only to springboard off of the young fighter's fist when Uchiha threw a punch at him.

"My brothers, hold him back! We need the abbot to subdue this beast of a man!" Wan-Lo yelled before running back into the temple.

Uchiha attempted to give pursuit only to be blocked off by a gathering of other monks from inside the temple.

"Well now, this looks like it's gonna get fun." He grinned before charging the line. Many of the monks were about as strong as Uchiha had been when he first came to Master Roshi. Powerful, but not insurmountably so. But, attacking en mass, they became a far more dangerous enemy. Rather than let this fight drag on, Uchiha had entered the fight charging ki into his attacks. The clearing echoes with screams of 'detonate!' and the explosions of blast punches and dynamite kicks.

Uchiha was breathing heavily when he'd finally dispatched the weaker monks. Shaking his head he walked towards the quickly breaking down temple. However, the fighter was given pause as he felt something approaching him from inside of the building. Apparently Wan-Lo had indeed reached the abbot, for the elder monk was walking out of the temple, and for the first time, Uchiha could feel the man's power. It was an intimidating feeling.

If the Abbot's ki was a warning, then Uchiha should have expected what came next. A powerful blast of ki ripped from inside the temple, destroying more of the structure and turning the crude door into a rough hole in the structure. The force of the impact sent the young martial artist careening back into a thick tree, shattering the trunk as he smashed into it. The heat from the blast searing away his shirt and leaving burns on his flesh.

"That...ow...just...ow." He gasped, listening to the tree fall over, knocking a few others down as well. "Note to self: Don't stand in front of the bad guy...when he's that strong."

As the young warrior rambled to himself the older one was approaching his location. The abbot's aura surrounded his body like fire as he approached Uchiha, picking up the injured young fighter. "You really shouldn't antagonize your betters, boy." He declared, throwing a series of punches into Uchiha's stomach before throwing him again into the canopy of trees. This wasn't the end however as he followed up this assault with a series of ki blasts, destroying numerous trees, causing them to collapse all along the area Uchiha had landed, the dry wood burning in the pile.

"Excellent," Wan-Lo declared, standing next to the abbot. "with him done we can return out attention to the se-"

"He is not dead."

"What? But...with that assault, how could he be-?"

"Open your senses, fool. He's out there still, preparing. Come and fight me!" He shouted into the jungle, yelling for Uchiha. "Or I'll burn this island down to get at you!"

"Guess playing possum isn't gonna help me any, huh?" Uchiha groaned from beneath a few fallen trees. With some exertion he pushed the lumber off of his body and stood back up on his feet, stretching out his back and wincing as he heard a few pops. "That's probably not a good sign." He complained absently, seemingly paying no more attention to the temple's abbot.

"Don't ignore me. It could be a fatal mistake." The abbot warned before throwing another punch at Uchiha a small burst of ki erupting from the fist and projecting into the younger warrior's chest, knocking Uchiha backwards once again. "Though stopping the Kharlan's rebirth was a fatal mistake to begin with."

"Then I guess that means," Uchiha suggested as he climbed back up again, leaning against a tree. "that I can't really make any more mistakes, huh?" He laughed a bit, dodging a second burst of ki with surprising speed considering the condition he appeared to be in.

"You think you can keep up with me? I can sense your power! You're insignificant!" The abbot declared, charging Uchiha, smashing through a few trees in the process. The two ended up engaged in heated exchange atop one of the fallen trees, each perched precariously as hands and legs were thrown with amazing speed. Of course by this point the only spectator of the battle was Wan-Lo.

"Amazing, simply amazing." He mumbled. "The abbot's power truly is without a rival."

"Not really," Uchiha asserted, ducking one of the abbot's punches and driving his own fist into the man's stomach, while he was gasping for air the young warrior kicked the monk's legs out from under him. With the elder man sprawled onto his back, Uchiha raised up his foot, attempting to drop it down into an ax-kick onto his chest.

However, the monk rolled off of the log, Uchiha's foot splintering the area his blow had landed.

"Too slow!" The abbot yelled, throwing his hands forward, a new beam of bluish ki projecting from his hands, sending Uchiha smashing through the canopy of trees. The young man landed in the clearing with a 'thud' churning up dirt with his landing.

"I just keep getting knocked all over this place." Uchiha grunted in annoyance, trying to rise to his feet, before a kick into his ribs launched the pupil of Roshi through the temple's structure. With a groan he rolled down a small flight of stairs. From what he could hear, the structure of the temple was growing weaker the longer these fights raged on.

Shaking his head as he looked at the hole left in the wall the young warrior gathered up his ki and launched himself out like a bullet, calling upon the power of flight as he smashed into the abbot at his full speed. With a good deal of exertion, the aged warrior gripped Uchiha about the waist his muscles rippling as he forced his younger adversary back onto the ground.

"Why don't you just give up?" He demanded of his opponent, throwing punches on the downed martial artist's body. "If you tell us where your master has taken the Heart of Kharlan then I may just spar your life. Even allow you to join our order!"

"If those deals didn't work before, why do you think they'd work now?" Uchiha grunted from the ground before pointing his finger at the abbot's face and firing off another dodonpa, adding a second one at his leg from his remaining hand and finishing the effort by driving a leg into the abbot's stomach.

With the older man once again staggering, Uchiha dragged himself away from him, shaking his head. The fight had seemed to be fairly back and forth so far but in reality, the abbot appeared to have the edge, if only because of the raw power of his ki techniques. The young fighter probably could have turned his counter attack into a new offensive had Wan-Lo not regained his nerve and intervened, slamming an ax-kick of his own into Uchiha's back.

With a gasp and a grunt, he sprawled out onto the ground. "Just can't get a break today..." He mumbled.

"Oh, I'll make sure you get plenty of breaks." Wan-Lo growled, continuing grind his foot into Uchiha's back as the recovered Abbot was approaching him as well. In the ensuing double team, Uchiha found himself yelling in pain as blows landed from both of his opponents. Defending against either alone would have been relatively simple but against both at once, even with his edge in power over Wan-Lo the young warrior found himself continually giving ground.

Need some kind of a plan...or distraction or...or something! Uchiha's mind screamed as he did what he could simply to minimize the damage. That was when he felt it though. The exact distraction he needed just a bit away from him. Moments after he sensed it, Uchiha heard it as well.

"Kamehameha...maximum power!" The aged voice croaked off to the side of the entire battle. The surge in Kame Sen'nin's power rising dramatically as his ki focused and the burst of energy was enough to pick off the abbot, blasting him skyward.

In a panic, Wan-Lo jumped to the side, glaring at Master Roshi. "You!" He screamed.

"Master?" Uchiha coughed, going down to one knee for a moment, trying to catch his breath. "You came back...?"

"Did you really think I was going to throw my student to the wolves?" Roshi retorted. "No, I just had to put the seed someplace safe first."

If it wasn't for the fact that the abbot was now MIA Uchiha would have been more likely to believe he'd been hallucinating, after all Master Roshi's return so soon after musing that he needed help, a distraction, anything was just so...convenient. Still, the young fighter wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Instead, he focused the whole of his attention on Wan-Lo now, charging up both of his fists with ki he threw two consecutive blast punches at the monk before pivoting his body into a roundhouse kick at his ribs. "Detonate!" He yelled as the impact shook the ragged priest.

Certain that Wan-Lo at least was defeated, or at least wouldn't be a factor in the fight for a bit, the young warrior turned his gaze skyward as he watched the rapidly growing form of the abbot smash into the ground, not far from where one of his own attacks had caused Uchiha to leave an imprint. "Have a nice trip?"

"I suppose you think you're pretty funny, eh boy?" The mad monk growled as he rose up to his feet, by now, like Uchiha his shirt had been burned and torn away. Clenching his fists he began charging ki into the extremities of his body before punching at Uchiha like a set of pistons, bursts of ki erupting with each strike.

Forced back onto the defensive, the green eyed warrior did his best to avoid being hit, jumping, ducking, bobbing and weaving where he could all the while trying to close the distance between himself and the abbot. When he was finally close enough for a renewed physical exchange the two once again traded off blows at sight-defying speeds, however both began to realize around this point that their opponent was losing their edge. Movements were coming slower, attacks carrying a little less sting to them. It seemed as though this fight would become a test of endurance...

And endurance...is my specialty. Uchiha thought to himself, a smirk forming on his lips.

Uchiha set his jaw stubbornly as he and the abbot continued raining blows upon one another, neither backing down from the fight. The abbot's muscles continued to strain as he threw attack after attack at Uchiha, never bothering to defend himself anymore. Both warriors were surrounded by their auras, which were growing steadily weaker as the combat progressed.

While Uchiha was willing, if not exactly comfortable, to continue the battle at this pace, and leave it entirely to their own bodies who would win the abbot seemed to have a different idea as he jumped backwards with a wicked smirk. "That's it kid, that's it...you're dead!" He screamed, bringing both of his hands together in front of him, forming a large ball of ki, his aura began to waver before vanishing entirely as the ball of energy swirled in his hands. "Go ahead, try and survive...this!" He challenged Uchiha, hurling the ball of energy towards his younger opponent.

There wasn't enough time to dodge from the distance the blast was thrown, the green eyed fighter had no choice but to try and weather the blast. Quick as he was able, Uchiha brought up his arms across his face and chest, tucking his head down low trying to curl in on himself as much as possible to defend the furious attack.

The blast rocked the clearing, the noise and power of the explosion throwing up dust all around Uchiha's body and momentarily obscured everyone's vision of the fight. When the dust finally cleared however, the young warrior was on his back, a number of injuries covering the visible skin of his body as he craned his neck to look in the abbot's direction.

"Ha...ha ha...ha ha ha!" He laughed triumphantly, stepping slowly towards Uchiha, his body shaking after his exertion. "Do you see? Do you understand now? I can't be stopped. You're dead. He's dead. And then...then, we'll find the heart of Kharlan and then...we're going to plant it. You've only delayed the inevitable. Only delayed the return of mankind's power!"

"You couldn't kill anyone at this point." Master Roshi asserted with a smirk. "You've exhausted your ki. You can barely stand up, let alone finish this fight. All Uchiha has to do is stand up and he's defeated you!" The ancient master shouted.

"No, no that's a lie!" The abbot shouted. "I still have all the power I need! More than enough!"

"Stay down!" The abbot screamed, running at Uchiha as best his condition would allow before slamming his foot down on the young fighter's chest. "Stay down!" He repeated. Up and down his foot continued coming, but far from discouraging Uchiha, it seemed to be steeling up his resolve.

After a few grunts from the blows to his chest, the young fighter finally locked his hand around the abbot's ankle, his grip like steel as he glared up at him. "Master Roshi...was right." He spoke up, still regaining his breath. "You've...used up to much of your strength. I can barely feel these hits."

"No, you're lying!" The abbot declared, still maintaining his supposed superiority. However, the longer the increasingly lopsided exchange continued, the more obvious it became who the victor would soon be. With a final grunt of exertion, the laid out warrior was able to unbalance the abbot, sending him tumbling to the ground.

With a hiss of pain, Uchiha pushed himself up to his feet. He was wobbly as he stumbled forward but remained on his feet none the less. Every so often, he needed to pause to take a breath but progressed forward slowly.

The abbot was only just starting to climb to his feet when Uchiha had approached him. Without warning the dark haired martial artist drew back his leg and kicked the abbot in the side of the head, finally sprawling the older warrior out across the ground, apparently unconscious. "Well...that's the end of that...I suppose." Uchiha muttered before turning to stumble back over to Roshi.

"Not quite." Kame Sen'nin interjected, looking at the temple. Already the structure looked on the verge of collapse. "I'd rather no trace of this sect remained. We don't need anyone searching for more seeds from that infernal tree." With his declaration made, Master Roshi once again assumed the stance of the Turtle School's most famous technique. "Kame...hame...HA!" He shouted his mantra before releasing the energy, obliterating the remnants of the Temple of Kharlan.

"And now, Uchiha...let us go home."

The trip home had been one of great exhaustion for Uchiha. His entire body ached from the fight, and his frequent usage of ki had put a strain on him as well. While Roshi was comfortable riding 'Baby Gamera' Uchiha had to fly in an increasing erratic pattern to return to Kame House.

"Why don't you go rest?" Roshi suggested of his pupil. "I believe you've earned it today."

"Your show of concern is touching." Uchiha yawned while he rolled his eyes all the while clomping up the steps. "Hey...out of curiosity, where did you hide the seed?"

"Someplace no one will ever think to seek it out." Master Roshi told Uchiha conspiratorially, winking behind his sunglasses. "Someplace no one would ever think." He repeated again.

Raising an eyebrow, Uchiha considered where in the cramped space of Kame House one could hide an object, even one as small as a seed. Finally the young fighter looked up at one of the ceiling lamps. "You hid it in one of the lights didn't you?" He asked with a smirk.

"Lousy kids," Roshi grumbled, going back down to his couch. "think they're so smart anymore." The further from Uchiha he moved of course, the harder it became to understand what Kame Sen'nin was saying.

Still, none of that mattered at the moment. All that did matter was the comfortable futon with Gosai's name on it, and the dreams that would beckon him into the land of sleep.

With minimal thought to the events of the day, Uchiha lay down on the futon and shut his eyes immediately, letting out a small yawn. "Mmm...g'night." He mumbled to no one in particular.

My life just keeps getting weirder and weirder. But...at least it isn't boring, I suppose. I'll just have to wait and see what comes next.

Wanted: 30,000 pl

Total Words: 8,551