Work Text:
“10 years ago”
Soun Tendo chuckled as he lay on the ground. His friend Genma reached a hand down to pull him up. “There’s no denying it, you got me this time, Saotome.”
“Glad to see you taking it graciously, Tendo.”
“Of course! I’d hardly be a true man if I weren’t willing to take my lumps. I concede in this match, you beat me fair and square. So I think that puts us at one win apiece? Next match will be the decider.”
“Oh, Tendo,” Genma chuckled. “Such a kidder.”
Soun looked puzzled. “‘Kidder’? What do you mean?”
“I have one win, you have none.”
“It’s you who are the kidder, Saotome. We fought two times today. I won the first match and you won the second.”
“I hate to contradict you, old friend, but we fought only one time today.”
“Did I hit you too hard earlier? You’ve already forgotten our fight at 10 o’clock today? A fight that I subsequently went on to win?”
“I remember our 10 o’clock fight very clearly. We concluded that fight just now.”
“What are you talking about? Those were two separate fights. One this morning, and one just now. We won one apiece.”
“It was just one fight—a rather elongated one, but still just one. I can’t imagine why you think they were separate fights and that you won one of them.”
“I won this morning’s fight by forfeit, Saotome, when you abruptly left the field of battle. A win by default is nonetheless a win.”
“There was no forfeit. I was continuing the fight.”
“You admit you ran away?”
“I wouldn’t put it in those terms. I took a momentary tactical retreat.”
“Momentary?” Soun sputtered in disbelief. “You were gone for four hours!”
“Some duels may go on for some time. This was longer than most, I grant you.”
“You ran away! You can’t pretend it was all the same fight.”
“I didn’t run away, it was a, uh, technique.”
“A technique. Remind me of when that technique was taught to us?”
“It’s a family technique! A secret Saotome family secret technique, which is a secret!”
“A secret technique. A Saotome secret technique.”
“Yeah, a secret technique. Yeah, that’s right, that’s the ticket.”
Soun looked down. “Saotome.”
“Uh, yes?”
Tears streamed down his face. “The fact that you needed your family’s secret technique to best me is the greatest compliment of my life! Embrace me, friend!”
Genma wiped off his sweat. “Of course, old friend!”
Akane collapsed onto the floor. “Oh my god.”
“Isn’t it a beautiful story of manly virtues, Akane?”
“It’s a story about how you’re the most gullible man alive, dad!”
Ryoga wandered into the room. “Excuse me, is this Furinkan High… oh, hello, Akane!”
“Correction. Second-most.”