"Yummy! I love eating beef stew! Don't you guys think it's soo much better today?" Kaoru exclaimed with a smile as the others just stared blankly at her. They had just come in for lunch as a break in grocery shopping.
"I don't taste a difference in it. I think Ugly has finally snapped." Yahiko stated making a face at the girl. Kaoru returned the comment with her tongue out.
"Are you sure we can afford this?" Kenshin asked stirring the vegetables in his bowl. "We've been quite short on extra cash recently." He elbowed Yahiko before the boy could make another comment.
"Well… if you would have let me finish," Kaoru sighed, "I was going to say that the beef stew is so much better when Sano's going to taking the bill!" The fighter spat out the spoonful in his mouth.
"Excuse me?! This is news to me!! What makes you think I have the money to pay for all this?" he stammered. Kenshin wiped the bits of chewed beef off his face,
"You did come into the dojo last night bragging about how much yen you won gambling." He stated matter-of-factly. Sanosake leaned back defeated. He knew he shouldn't have told them.
"Besides" Kaoru continued, oblivious that she had won, "it can make up for the lack of housework you do and –"
A scream tore through the small restaurant. The boys shot to their feet scanning the area. The sound had come from a waitress holding her serving tray to her chest. In front of her a scruffy looking man had drawn a Shoto at a woman sitting across from him. She sat calmly with her arms crossed with an unimpressed look on her face. That woman was me.
Trying not to notice the stares of the other patrons in the restaurant, I pushed a bit of my black hair out of my face. Under the table I put a hand on the knee of the man next to me, my partner, Kimmaru, in an attempt to hold his attack. I looked into the drunken man's eyes; I knew I shouldn't have paid for so much Saki. I frowned under the cloth covering my face.
"Gohnoe, you don't want to start something here." I stated solemnly, "you will endanger all these people, and yourself. Put the blade away, Gohnoe, you don't want this." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a kunai slip out of Kimmaru's sleeve. I clenched my teeth; bloodshed here would just be trouble. The drunkard laughed off my words and put a foot on the table to lean towards me, letting the sharp blade tip press against my neck. My grip tightened on the ninja's knee, although I knew that wouldn't hold him for long.
"I trusted you." Gohnoe spat, the strong stench of alcohol filled my nose. "I thought you were one of us. I don't care if the people get hurt if that means I get to spill your saseko blood." Through my fuming anger, I couldn't help but laugh.
"Saseko? Really? Well, next time I'm working the corner, I'll give you a call!" I said and slid back kicking out the table from under him. As he fell, Kimmaru brought up the knee I had been holding connecting it to the scum's nose. With a final kick to the collar bone I sent the man back to his seat, where he slumped, unconscious.
"That idiot, I'll take him outside." Kimmaru muttered under his mask. He had a smile that played only in his eyes, "You can take the bill on this one."
I laughed my thanks as he effortlessly hurled the man onto his shoulder and headed for the door. I looked down at my kimono that was now covered with beef stew and sighed, it was new. Slowly, I got up and walked over to the scared waitress that still stood frozen with the tray to her chest.
"I'm sorry about all that," I said in my sincerest voice, "you know how boys can get when they drink." Out of my sleeve I produce a pouch full of yen and gently took her hand to place it in. As I closed her hand around it I winked.
"This should easily cover the damages and the dinner, the rest you can keep for yourself." I turned and started to walk away when someone caught my eye. For a moment, the man with a cross shaped scar and I locked eyes in an endless exchange. The cloth over my face hid me from him, for that I was thankful, for only in my eyes could I hold my surprise. Without missing a step, I left the restaurant to look for Kimmaru.
"Hitokiri Battosai," I said to myself, removing the cloth from my face. I touched the scar that traced up my check, "I have finally found you."