COBRA KAI: The Way of the Fist (Prequel to "COBRA KAI: Clash of the Five Dojos")

CHAPTER 21: "1984 (TKK)."

(1984…)

Nariyoshi heated up his food and brought up his chopsticks. Before he could reach for his noodles in the bowl, a fly swarmed around his face. He slowly and carefully tried to catch it with his chopsticks. Suddenly, a voice appeared behind him. “Hey. Are you the maintenance man?” the boy asked. “Hai.” Nariyoshi responded. “I’m Daniel and we’re the new people in Apartment 20. Our faucet is leaking. Could you come fix it?” Daniel asked. “Hai.” Nariyoshi answered. “Okay. Can I tell my mom when?” Daniel asked. “When what?” Nariyoshi asked, mostly still trying to catch the fly. “When are you going to fix the faucet?” Daniel asked again. “After.” Nariyoshi replied. “After, what?” Daniel asked, getting irritated. “After after.” Nariyoshi said, failing his attempts to capture the fly. 

(A Few Days Later…)

Daniel arrived at his apartment complex, very angry and he threw his whole bike in the dumpster, telling it how much he hates it. His mother questioned him, concernedly. Daniel kept going on about how much he hated his new home and wanting to learn karate out of the blue. His mother finally found a way to calm him down and once they both walked away, Nariysohi looked outside his door, wondering if this might be the student he’s been looking for. 

It was now halloween and suddenly, he heard voices coming from outside. He looks out the door and sees Daniel being beaten up by other karate kids in skeleton costumes. Nariyoshi sneaks around, hops over the fence and shoves the one kid off of Daniel and waits for them to attack him. “Tommy, Bobby, get him!” Johnny yelled. Bobby and Tommy try to attack but Nariyoshi punches them both in their guts, jumps up and double knees their faces. He blocks Jimmy’s punch, right kicks him, then left back kicks him to the ground. Dutch sent a high right karate kick but Nariyoshi catches it, kicks his groin, kicks his supporting foot, making him fall, and sends his foot into Dutch's stomach. Johnny was the last one standing. He throws a front kick and two punches but Nariyoshi blocks two of them, catches the last punch, flips him to the ground and chops his stomach. 

Nariyoshi turned around and picked Daniel up, then brought him back to his maintenance room. Daniel had been unconscious for the past few hours but Nariyoshi stayed with him until he woke up. Daniel groaned from the pain and slowly sat up. “Daniel-san. Take easy.” Nariyoshi said, slowly helping Daniel sit up. “How did you do that back there? There were five of them.” Daniel asked. “Miyagi-Do karate.” Nariyoshi answered, taking a sip of his tea. “Who taught you karate?” Daniel asked, again. “Father teach.” Nariyoshi answered, again. “Have you taught anyone before?” Daniel asked, curiously. “No.” Nariyoshi answered. “Well, would you?” Daniel asked. “Depend. Depend on reason. Daniel-san, you look revenge that way start by digging to grave. Fighting always last answer to problem.” Nariyoshi said, spreading his wisdom to the teenager. “No offense, Mr. Miyaji but I don’t think you understand my problem.” Daniel said, holding the cold cloth against his cheek. 

“Miyagi understand problem prefect. Your friend all karate student, eh? Problem attitude.” Nariyoshi asked. “No, problem is I’m getting my ass kicked everyday. That’s the problem.” Daniel said, with a grunt. “Because boys have bad attitude. Karate for defense only.” Nariyoshi said. “That’s not what these guys are taught.” Daniel pointed out. “Can see. No such thing as bad student, only bad teacher. Teacher say, student do.” Nariyoshi said, wisely. “Well, that solves everything, I’ll just go to the school and teacher myself.” Daniel said, with an attitude. “Hai. Good idea.” Nariyoshi takes another sip of the tea he made. “No, bad idea. I’d be killed if I went there alone.” Daniel said, trying to sit correctly due to the pain he felt. “You be killed anyway.” With another sip, Nariyoshi stands up from his seat. “No please. Can you come with me? Please?” Daniel begged. “Daniel-san, It probably not good idea I come.” Nariyoshi said, not wanting to get involved in a fight. “Well fine! I’ll handle all of it on my own!” Daniel said, almost stepping out but Nariyoshi stopped him. “Wait, Daniel-san. Okay. Tomorrow I go with you.” Nariyoshi told him and Daniel was so grateful for this. He went back to his apartment to get some rest. Nariyoshi didn’t like the idea of stepping into conflict. Mostly because he needed to find students to help Miyagi-Do in the Karate War against The Way of the Fist.

(The Next Day…)

Nariyoshi and Daniel arrived at the Cobra Kai dojo. When they stepped in, they both saw John Kreese teaching his students. John Kreese caught one of his students out of line and threw him to the floor. “You lose concentration in a fight, you’re dead meat.” he said in his student’s face. “Yes Sensei!” the student responded. “Get up and give me sixty push ups on your knuckles.” John Kreese ordered. The student obeyed. “Combat! Ais!” the students sit on their knees in the form of a square. “Brown! Robertson!” John Kreese called. The two students stepped in the middle of the, preparing for a sparring match. The two did fight for very long because Bobby front kicks Robertson in the chest, making him fall on the floor. “Point, front kick! What are you looking at? Finish him!” John Kreese ordered. Bobby karate chops the back of Robertson’s neck, ending the match. “Prepare!” he ordered again. The students return to their square formation, in their junbi stances. “We do not train to be merciful here! Mercy is for the weak! Here and on the streets and competition! A man confronts you, he is the enemy. An enemy deserves no mercy! What is the problem Mr. Lawrence?!” John Kreese asked Johnny as his best student whispered to him. John Kreese looked over and saw Nariyoshi Miyagi with Daniel LaRusso. His eyes went wide and his anger fumed within him. “Class, we have visitors. Fall in behind me.” John Kreese walked over to Nariyoshi and crossed his arms, with a smirk. “Nariyoshi Miyagi. It has been a long time, old friend.” John Kreese said.
“Hai. But I not here to fight. Ask that you leave boy alone.” Nariyoshi said. John Kreese looked over toward Daniel. “What’s the matter? One student of Miyagi-Do can’t take care of his own problems?” John Kreese snarked. “One to one problem, yes. Five to one problem, too much ask anyone.” Nariyoshi said, seriously. 

“Is that what’s bothering you, Miyagi? The odds? Well we can fix that. You like matching, Mr. Lawrence?” John Kreese asked his best student. “Yes Sensei!” Johnny answered. “No more fighting.” Nariyoshi said, staring into John Kreese’s eyes. “This is a karate dojo not a knitting class. You don’t come into my dojo and leave without a challenge, old man. Now you get your boy on the mat or we’re going to have a major problem.” John Kreese growled. Daniel looked down and saw that Nariyoshi’s fists were balled up as if he was trying to hold in his anger. 

“Too much advantage, your dojo.” Nariyoshi said, unballing his fists. “Name a place.” John Kreese challenged. “Tournament.” Nariyoshi pointed his head to the “All Valley Karate Tournament” poster behind him and Daniel. “You got a lot of nerve, Nariyoshi. Real nerve. But I think we can accommodate you. Can we, Mr. Lawrence?” John Kreese asked his best student again. “Yes Sensei.” Johnny responded, smirking at Daniel. 

Johnny walked back to his classmates. “Ask one more small request.” Nariyoshi said. “Make it fast.” John Kreese said, impatiently. “Ask leave boy alone to train.” Nariyoshi requested. “You’re a pushy little bastard ain’t ya, Nariyoshi. But I like that. I like that. Alright Nobody touches him before the tournament! Is that understood?!” John Kreese asked his students. “YES SENSEI!!” The Cobra Kai students yelled. “If you don’t show, it’s open season. For him and you.” John Kreese threatened. Nariyoshi only stared into his old enemy’s eyes and the two shared a little head bow before Nariyoshi and Daniel left the Cobra Kai dojo. Daniel didn’t approve of what was going on but soon gave in that he was about to be taught Miyagi-Do.