True to Your Heart

By: Misumi Kanegawa

Prologue


"KAORU!"

A young boy with short, brown, spiky hair that stood everywhere came running in a room out of breath. There before him, was a young girl with raven black hair, writing something on a piece of paper.

"Kaoru…" the boy said breathlessly.

The young girl looked up from what she was writing and stared at him with her angry eyes.

"What do you want Yahiko? I'm busy here!" she grumbled as Yahiko softly replied, "You need to come down quickly…"

"Why?" young Kaoru asked, as she started writing something again on the paper in her hand, "I'm busy right now… Maybe later…"

"Later? But… don't- don't you want to say good bye to uncle Hiko?" Yahiko asked as Kaoru's eyes widened in surprise.

"NANI!"

Before Yahiko could make a reply, Kaoru jumped out of her bed and went running past Yahiko. She ran down the stairs and into a small living room with the piece of paper still clutched in her hand.

In the living room, she saw a tall man looking very well built, wearing a long big white coat on him, with a katana hidden beneath it. He was talking to his friend, the land lady of the place they were currently residing in. Kaoru just knew her for a few years- yet she was expected to respect her as an aunt.

She had short dark brown hair and green eyes. She was talking seriously to her uncle- the one person who had saved not only her life- but Yahiko's as well just a few years ago...

Kaoru couldn't just let him leave- no way! She couldn't bear to be left alone! Not again!

At that exact moment, Kaoru dropped to her knees, and began to cry.

The two adults stopped talking in surprise hearing the young girl cry next to them.

"Kaoru- why are you crying?" her uncle said as the landlady ran to her side, hugging her comfortingly, "Haven't I told you before- I hate seeing people cry?"

"Don't go! I don't want you to leave!" Kaoru wailed as Yahiko entered the room, "We don't want you to leave!"

"Kaoru-chan… it's going to be alright…" the land lady said soothingly as Kaoru just shook her head stubbornly.

Kaoru struggled to get away from her aunt's grasps as her uncle just stared down at her. She broke free of her aunt's clutches and ran to her uncle. She hugged her uncle tightly on his waist for she reached only up to her uncle's stomach.

"Kaoru- I told you before, haven't I? Once I have to go- I have to go- There is no holding back-" her uncle said sternly, as he gently wiped the tears off her face.

Kaoru was silent for a moment. Then she looked up at her uncle who just gave her a nod.

"You've trained hard- but I must leave-" her uncle whispered, so that only she was able to hear what he was saying.

"But… But why so soon?" Kaoru asked as tears started to form in her eyes again.

"Don't you dare cry again…" her uncle said firmly, "Remember… that I have a certain Red-head baka-deshi that I have to train…"

Kaoru sniffed as she put on a straight face. She tried to remember some years back, when her uncle had brought his pupil over to stay with them back in their old home. But that was all in the past- she didn't remember much of the past… but she didn't care…she actually didn't want to remember anything at all…

Kaoru sighed as she nodded slowly, still trying to fight back the tears that was once again swelling in her eyes. Yahiko and her aunt were watching the two of them closely- she didn't want to cry again in front of all of them…

"You'll be back soon… right uncle?" Yahiko asked, wanting to hear an answer from the man he now respected like a father.

"Yeah… so don't worry about anything… I'll be back…" he said, patting Kaoru's head, then Yahiko's before leaving immediately.

"…"

To be continued…