Kaoru looked at the empty dojo and sighed. Last night the rain was too aggressive and that place became a mess, and is very hard living alone and clean the house, dojo and what's left of the garden. One day it's not enough. Her last student had to move to another city and was the only thing that people are doing since they heard about the hitokiri's arrived in Tokio. It seems the government are put them in that territory, so a lot of people with a trouble past just disappeared, travelling to another place or killed by some hitokiris. In your student case was little diferent because his family had packed their things and left Tokio before que hitokiri's arrived.
But they always stay in Kyoto, so what they're doing in Tokio? Kyoto is dangerous and full of terrible things, the nights in that city are red. Red like blood. When the Akabeko's girls commented about some words in the wind telling that Battousai and his friends had some things to do in Tokio, was enough to alarm everyone.
For the last four days, the streets were empty. Not even a cat across Tokio's streets. That words in the wind were very powerful, and true. No one wants to be killed by cold sharp blades.
Kaoru's back ached and make her grumble while pulled the wooden bucket full of water to the surface. She turned the bucket on a clay pot to cooking what's left of the her garden, only two potatoes. The last night storm destroyed almost everything, except the house and dojo.
"Probably I will spent days only to wash this mess!" She was talking to herself a little concerned about what is the best to her: stay in home ou go to find Akabeko's girls and stay with them. But Kaoru can't leave your father's dojo so easily, that's your home and what's left of her family. She won't forgive herself if something bad happened to that place. "Well, the choose was yours, Kaoru! Don't be stupid and go wash the floor and your own clothes!"
Her clothes was dirty like the rest of the house. Kaoru sighed lazily.
Wearing your kendo's clothes, very similar to men's clothes, because isn't easy do it using a female quimono. No one are watching her, that's what matters. Cook and wash clothes aren't her especiality.
While carrying water to kitchen, she listened some voices outside, very close of here.
Men's voices, she thought.
Kaoru wasn't fool, she can't interrupt them whatever they're were doing.
She's only a girl… and alone.
Walking on the finger tips to the wooden gate, Kaoru sat on a large stone to hear better. But before arrives, she heard a man screaming and after something drop on the floor. The man was dead. She gasped, was hard to believe what's happening there.
"Everyone who has nothing against the governmentare in their houses, Mr. Natsurugi".
But it seems that Mr. Natsurugi wasn't there anymore… and completly dead.
"We have do another things now" another man "Go find some places to stay to next nights, I think is better if we don't stay together."
"I agree", is the first man's voice "Stay at the same place was our weakness in Kyoto"
Kyoto!, she thought afraid, they're hitokiris!
Her heart started to beat faster.
"This part of Tokio is empty", he continues, "They're smart. Each one of you, go find some place to hide here. Before que dawn, we have to meet at the city hall. The orders will come soon."
'The orders…?', she thought concerned about it.
Kaoru doesn't know what to do after that dangerous men left that street, each one goes to diferents diretions. Looking to her dojo, and the house, Kaoru try to convince herself that search the Akabeko's girls to stay with them won't going to work. Who wants a dojo? Is large and you can't hide if you were a hitokiri… and the people stills thinks that every dojo has a samurai to teach the kendo to young boys.
I don't know if that argument is enough for me.
She breath before get up, your kendo clothes are worst than before.
The potatoes!
She ran to the kitchen and found two stupid potatoes burning on fire, now she can't eat those stupid potatoes. Breathing again, Kaoru needs to find something to eat soon. Her stomach start to grumble and there's nothing to eat anymore. The young girl search on the site is there's something to eat, but… no, nothing! The garden was destroyed by the last night storm.
I have only two apples and one watermelon.
Even if she had money, Kaoru can't buy nothing. Everything is closed, except the Akabeko.
Wait for a second.
She could ask, and don't pay now, for the people on Akabeko. Maybe the girls are working today, who knows? Well, running to there is not big deal, isn't? Only five minutos, or less than that, and all her problems probably will over! The sun is high and the hitokiris are looking for places to hide.
You only have to run, Kaoru.
Picked her socks and was wearing her shoes when decided not to change the clothes. No one will see her. She left the dojo using a hiding door. The streets are completly abandoned, seems like a ghost city. She had never to saw it in your seventeen years old. Your stomach still glumble when Kaoru starts to run like hell. That adventure was, sadly, necessary because she will be starved for the next days and who knows when that war will find her end?
Your heart was full of hope, and when she cross the bridge realize the obvious.
Close!, Kaoru gaped, No! Please!
Akabeko is closed. Yes, that's the fact. A little paper was put on the wall telling about some 'personal problems'.
"Someone is dead?", she asked for herself again, "Maybe not, the girls only…"
"It's not safe a girl like you walk away alone."
The young girl turn around to know who is that man. Your hands were shaking and Kaoru realizes that she was sweating cold. Your blue eyes was seeing a man with long red hair in tail, taller than her and his eyes wasn't ordinary. They're curious violet eyes. Kaoru never saw no one like him, but she looks two katanas in his waist immediately.
That man don't look like dangerous, of course not, but she took two steps back.
"Stay away!", she was uncouncious afraid, so starts to scream.
"This one has no intention to do something to bad to you", he spoke opening a sweet smile while raised the hands to show that he wasn't hurt her, "This one only look for a place to stay tonight".
Uhum. Ok.
Kaoru was in doubt if that man was a dangerous hitokiri, the way he express hiself was too inocent. His violet eyes is piercing her, yes, but there's no desrespect on those. Maybe the pacific appearance is real, and that man was only someone who wants a help.
Or maybe she is fool enough to think like this.
He's not a hitokiri.
But the scar… maybe he is a hitokiri.
Everyone has scars.
The truth is: she wants to help him.
"Who are you?", asked with your hands in her waist. Be strong, Kaoru.
"I'm a simple hiker*", the man answer, "I'm going to follow you to your place when you and your family are in, I can't find somewhere to stay. It's better no one stay in home in times like those."
Now what, you stupid girl?
That hiker* seems very pacific to her, but the two katanas in his waist…
Be woman is too damn hard.
"I'm not in public homes, like you thing I do", spoked after breath tired.
"Oro?", this man is not a hitoriki, "Are you alone? This one thinks that a girl never have to walk alone in times like those."
Kaoru turns around to that strange man, ok, was not a wise thing to do but she was lost and never like to show her feelings to no one. She starts to walk away and only hope that he moves to another direction and leave her alone.
But no…
The hiker go after you walking quietly, follow her and probably ignoring that ghost city.
He is strange.
"Why you're follow me?", asked impatient while they cross the bridge.
"This one is walking with the Missy for her safe, seems that no one are doing it", the idiot answer still that no one was walking on the streets with them.
Kaoru shake her head.
"I don't need it, thank you".
"Oro?"
"And what about this two katanas in your waist, Mr. Redhair?", asked more curious than cautious, but still burning like some acid because the man had some doubts about her independence, "I never saw a hiker* using any sword, and two expensive katanas are enough to buy my dojo."
Few steps back, that idiot still walking, following her.
He seems to quietly.
"The Missy has a dojo?", asked curious, "But… if Missy is alone now…"
She wants to put your hands around his neck and press until he dies in her arms. His nice and kind way to be is adorable than suspect, and your appearance too. Kaoru was tempt to look at him again and see who the hell are that man.
But I still want to put my hand around his neck and press until he dies in my arms.
"My name is Kaoru Kamiya, everyone has a name" she looked back, the red hair was too long and the scar… well, the fact is that scar wasn't pacific. "I teach kendo in my dojo, my style is the Kamiya Kasshin. Now I want your name… well?"
"This one has a name, Missy Kaoru, and it's Kenshin Himura", he answer kindly, "Well, Missy Kaoru, I had seeing you go to the restaurant, Akabeko. What happened?"
"You want to know a lot of me, idiot… but it's true. I don't have food enough to the next days, or today" she answer after breath extremely tired of her life, "And the worst is: I don't have money to pay."
Kenshin Himura nodded.
"We are living hard times, Missy Kaoru", he commented quietly, "But the Missy can do a treated with this one."
"A treated?", she repeats while look to that strange and attractive man. His eyes is little confuse to her, full of feelings, maybe? They're very diferent than the rest of the body. Kaoru was feelings a little bit strange. "How?"
Kenshin looked at her home, the dojo, and breath. He was thinking.
Observações: I'm brazilian and trying to practice my english. Well, I'm sorry if some words ou the gramatic are wrong because there's a lot of time that I speak/write/read in english. The 'hiker' I found on the translate, I was confuse about it because I don't in english how are the treatmente that people use to define Kenshin. Hiker, in that case (in my language, is 'Andarilho'). Well, I hope you like it. Forgive my mistakes and… beijos!