The same conclusion occurred to me around a year ago. I'd gotten awfully soft, my stamina had plummeted, and energy for anything outside of my computer desk job and regular chores was scarce. There was another explanation for my generally shitty mood, so I didn't consider that particularly fixable, but everything else seemed like a problem largely caused by a lack of activity. The tricky part was figuring out a way to get my body MOVING consistently, because I face a few road blocks. I feel uncomfortable in gyms and don't have access to a car to get to one during the day anyway, but a fairly predictable routine is needed to keep me accountable, and I also need something else engaging my brain at the same time so I don't get super bored while I'm going through the motions.
Thankfully, I've found an inelegant solution to my issues, but regaining some strength has been slow going. I'm nearing 40, and I'm liable to permanently injure myself if I'm too zealous about it. Suffice it to say, I don't think I'll ever reach the level of strength that would allow me to punch a Nazi effectively, let alone the absurdity of whatever is happening here:
The fleshy sword lying a short distance from Toguro's hand warps and separates, transforming back into the man, who spends a moment recalibrating on all fours. Both brothers start to get to their feet, the younger letting out a breath of relief. As he stands upright, the left-most screen under the observation deck window blips to life again.
The younger Toguro says his hearing is pretty accurate, and he heard the boys' plan. He played along with it, but he didn't anticipate how hard it would be to throw a match like that. Above all of them, Tarukane is giggling madly, still on the observation deck. Toguro asks Sakyo if it was really wise to let Yukina go, since she was originally MERCHANDISE Tarukane apparently stole from the younger rich man. Ugh, I don't know if it would be worse for them to just use the word SLAVE and get it over with. I have ALL the icks now.
Sakyo affirms that Toguro tells it true, but he says Yukina isn't really worth pursuing, because her jewel-tears are small potatoes compared to the scheme he's working on right now. Toguro says this is fine by him, but asks if he might make a request of his TRUE client; he wants to fight the boys again in earnest, in the TOURNAMENT. Spoiler alert, lol.
Sakyo assures him that Yusuke and Kuwabara will certainly be invited to the event, having counted upon Toguro wanting to fight them again. Toguro praises how sneaky it was for Sakyo to use Tarukane's downfall as a pretext to watch him in action against the boys, and Sakyo acknowledges his perceptiveness before asking how those kiddoes stack up. It's Toguro's estimation that the smaller one, Urameshi, will be formidable, given how fast he's gaining strength with every turn. Just before Sakyo's image disappears again, he tells Toguro he trusts him to assess the challenge with care, reminding him that the tournament is two months away. He also asks Toguro to "take out the trash" before he goes.
Toguro looks up at the observation window, behind which Tarukane is still chuckling. He's writhing in mad amusement about how he's ruined financially, and he may as well be dead. Toguro affirms his orders and leaps up toward the window, looming for a moment behind the window and Tarukane's oblivious, giggling form.
Meh, I think they should have let the douchebag go bankrupt instead. Far more fitting of a punishment for any man who's made his money his entire personality.
Cut to a morose-looking Kuwabara, face half in shadow. He walks ahead of his gang, who speculate on why he's been so wound-up and quiet lately, betting various small amounts on such explanations as a new image, a downer movie that deeply affected him, and getting dumped. That last one is what Yusuke says hits the nail on the head, muttering to Botan next to him. Botan is in school uniform yet again, and they're walking a little ways behind Kuwabara's friends, but evidently not a part of the conversation.
Botan challenges Yusuke's assessment, saying bluntly that Kuwabara WASN'T dumped. Yusuke points out that Kuwabara's Ice Maiden went home to the glaciers, but Botan insists that long-distance relationships can be very romantic. As someone who has been in one, they can also be VERY difficult to maintain, which is why they often end. Thankfully mine DIDN'T but that's the exception. All back-and-forth is in between bickering about Botan putting back on her school girl act, and Botan sighing about it. She wouldn't want to get another teacher angry about her walking around out of uniform again. That was probably traumatizing.
Though she's not so concerned about Kuwabara and Yukina, there are other things about this case that leave Botan with a bad taste in her mouth. In particular, Hiei copped out and didn't tell Yukina he was her brother when he had the chance.
Anyway, Hiei says in this little flashback that it's been two years since he learned Yukina was missing, apparently having snuck off to frolic with some animal. Disney Princess syndrome, huh? Well, she DOES have an affinity for befriending wildlife. Hiei speculates that this is when the Brokers got wind of her. Yusuke asks if Hiei by any chance got his Evil Eye to try and find her, but Hiei just scoffs in response. Real slippery about the subject, isn't he?
Yusuke suggests that it's at least a good thing that Hiei didn't kill Tarukane, Botan saying that Hiei would have been arrested for that, because it's forbidden to kill even loathsome toads of human beings like that. Just like in human law. Botan says there was a strong debate about whether they should even tell Hiei at all, and the compromised by assigning him to deliver the tape. Yusuke looks a little annoyed as he characterizes it as lame that they left it up to Hiei to watch the tape himself before he handed it over.
It's case closed to Yusuke anyway, and Botan encourages him to take a break, since he's not up for any new cases at the moment. He's striding out of school, thinking it's been a while since he's hit the pachinko parlors, when he rounds the pillar in the gate onto the grounds to see a tall lanky figure in a trench coat hanging around just outside. Other kids already on the sidewalk look nervously up and over their shoulders as they pass.
Yusuke stutters in disbelief that this man standing in front of him died, and notices his own trembling at facing Toguro in the flesh again with alarm. Toguro invites him to accompany him somewhere they can talk. Don't let him take you to a second location, Yusuke!!!
Sadly, he does JUST THAT, the next few panels feature a mostly complete building that appears to be still under some construction with materials and rubble outside. Toguro is telling Yusuke that their first encounter wasn't on the up-and-up, but that's all done and over with anyway, so it's all good. I don't know, dude, have you ever heard what they say about first impressions? Yusuke has thankfully gotten ahold of his primal fear and is standing in a wide, cocky stance, telling Toguro to get to the point if he even has one. At least, Yusuke has MOSTLY gotten ahold of that fear, because he's still trembling a little.
Toguro notices this and scoffs, asking Yusuke if he's afraid. Though he's sweating bullets and visibly nervous, Yusuke tells Toguro not to kid himself. He's DETERMINED to fake confidence to the very end. Toguro observes that though Yusuke is playing the tough guy, his instincts can't be fooled. Once again, Toguro has removed his overcoat, and his bare shoulders are surrounded by spectral fire. He lectures Yusuke on the virtue of learning to recognize danger, acknowledging Yusuke's strength and his trajectory of getting stronger, and this being the reason why he's showing the boy his REAL self. He instantly bulks up again, roaring as his body crackles with energy and popping physiology adjusting to his sudden gains. He tells Yusuke that it's all about muscle mass, and admits he was only at about 20% of his capacity when they fought last.
I'm not sure how much of this oration Yusuke is actually absorbing while he's standing there with his mouth agape and eyes reduced to pinpricks with horror.
Toguro says he's at about 60% right now, and could level the whole building in about three minutes, asking if Yusuke wants to see. WHY would he want to see that? Yusuke stammers, completely speechless, and he looks like his heart damn near STOPS when Toguro seems to zip out of his sight entirely.
Toguro reappears behind the increasingly frozen Yusuke, NOW telling him about the tournament that will be held in two months. It's an event where rich humans, in it for money and thrills, who get their power from the "dark world" sponsor teams of the strongest and most skilled demons, in it for love of blood and pleasure. This is Toguro's formal invitation to Yusuke and Kuwabara to compete, and if Yusuke refuses to do so, Toguro promises to kill him right here and now. As if this isn't coercion enough, Toguro warns that accepting means the boys had better get in shape, since their lives depend on it; the matches in the tournament are fights to the death.
Yusuke is still gaping, but the stakes aren't much higher than those he's been forced to accept this whole time.
Toguro is strolling leisurely off the construction site when he comes across two familiar characters: Hiei and Kurama, who just wordlessly stare at him. A half-page filler panel featuring a semi-realistic line-art drawing of a girl later, Toguro has reached the other two demons and drawls that he sees by their expressions that they got THEIR invitations to the tournament too. Were their invitations as... demonstrative as Yusuke's? They don't say, keeping a stony silence as Toguro informs them that they'll be on Yusuke's team, of course.
As Toguro's head and shoulders float off (did YT forget to draw the rest of him walking away or what?), he advises them to go with smarts and strength for their fifth team member, whom they're free to choose themselves. At last, Kurama has the honor of the first word once Toguro is gone, asking Hiei what he thinks their chances are. Hiei responds that he's doesn't know. How the fuck SHOULD he? Is he a whiz at statistics or something?
Cut to a gorgeous mountain vista in the country, and a veranda around a serene compound. Someone walks barefoot with purpose down the corridor, to where Genkai is sitting on the floor next to a low table, a TV playing off to the side. She's holding a steaming hot beverage as she asks her visitor to what she owes the pleasure of their intrusion.
Scoffing, Genkai asks if he's finally taking this whole training thing seriously, then turns to glare at him, warning that it won't be easy. Yeah, if the glimpse we got of his preliminary training was any indication, I don't doubt that.
No training montage, as usual. Just a panel that tells us time passes.
So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Now that we know the Toguro Brothers were REALLY working for Sakyo this entire time, I'm even MORE curious about what the younger Toguro's motivation is. It still doesn't seem to be money, the only kernel of interest he shows being in that tournament they talk about in their little conference call at the beginning of the chapter. Although, considering how close to the chest he's held all his cards thus far, I'm hesitant to take even THAT at face value. My only supposition is that he ended up in Sakyo's employment as a condition of Sakyo sponsoring he and his brother and whatever team he has (other than the two of them) in the tournament. I'm quite eager to learn how THAT deal was struck, though.
Yusuke's fear at learning Toguro is alive is PALPABLE. Sure, it seems that he's nervous on the surface about how this guy he BARELY beat in the fight under Tarukane's mansion seems hale and healthy, but I think there might be another element to it. Yusuke knows personally what kind of trial comes with coming back to life, and how rare being offered that opportunity is, so he's aware that the guy didn't just raise from the dead. When Toguro bulks to such a massive degree in front of him and says it's only 60% of his potential muscle mass, Yusuke for the first time a real idea of how little of Toguro's power it took to knock him on his ass. Facing the prospect of a 100% jacked Toguro at a tournament TWO MONTHS in the future is monumentally horrifying, because none of the rest of his opponents thus far have had the opportunity to SHOW him what he's up against in advance. Anticipation and the monumental horror that brings might just give Yusuke the yips, so despite my dry humor above, I understand his absolute terror.
There's a part of me that appreciates not having even SHORT montages of training for the boys before these arcs. I'd much prefer to skip to the action, and the element of surprise one gets learning in a tense moment just how much their skill has grown in the two months we didn't get to see should be a treat.
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