The Heart of Tokyo

Fandom – Rurouni Kenshin

Pairing – Yahiko/Tsubame, Kenshin/Kaoru, Sano/Megumi - but mostly friendship

Warnings – Violence and fighting

Disclaimer – The copywrite of this fic belongs to me, all characters – except those I make up – do not belong to me.

Summary – Yahiko is in love with Tsubame and tries to show her; meanwhile a group of thugs terrorize Tokyo and the Kenshin-gumi get involved.

A/N – This is a re-write of my fan fic "Tokyo Samurai" which will not be deleted from this account. I have decided to re-write it and this time I got Tsubame's name right. ;) This will be a longer version of that story and I'll try to keep to the original lighthearted essence of the story. I also know that the whole Enishi arch got Kaoru and Kenshin together officially, but I'm ignoring that. So au?

Japanese word list –

Mamono – Ghost, devil

0000

Chapter 1 – Match Maker, Match Maker

0000

Yahiko sighed as he threw the rag into the bucket of mucky, brown water. He'd finally finished cleaning the dojo and in an hour he would be expected at the Akabeko; Miss Tai and Tsubame frowned on him for being late. Which, thankfully, was not something he did often. He mostly didn't want to be late this afternoon either. He was bound and determined to ask Tsubame to the Cherry Blossom Festival that'd take place at the end of the week. Kaoru just wouldn't stop hinting at Kenshin about it. She went on and on about what Kimono she was going to wear and why couldn't Kenshin wear her father's festival clothing? And that lead to Kenshin making excuses and going off to do some laundry.

But, it got Yahiko thinking about his future. One day he'd be the Assistant Master of Kamiya Dojo and he'd have apprentices and a wife and children. He was a little young to think about that sort of thing now, beyond the jittering butterflies he always got in his stomach when Tsubame was around – but, he didn't want to always make excuses to Tsubame when she wanted him to do something. And the best thing was that she just asked him things straight out. Yahiko didn't know why older women though that hinting at men got them anywhere, it never did as far as Yahiko could tell. And Tsubame seemed to know this.

So, when she had a bucket that needed filled with water, she would ask him to do it and she'd make over how strong he was and she'd blush when she said something a little forward. He'd blush back but it was all right for her tell him the things she thought because otherwise Yahiko was sure he'd make a mistake. He sighed and stood; now with the dojo cleaned he could actually have a bit of fun before going to work. He took his bucket out to the garden and poured the nasty water into the plants.

Then he turned about to find Kenshin; it was laundry day. Kaoru's bright yellow Kimono was hung up to dry along with the obi and the under Kimono. Kenshin always took extra care when it came to that particular Kimono though he did confide in Yahiko that he liked the blue one with the sakura flowers as well. He was simply sweet on Kaoru and felt unworthy of her and that was why he never made a move towards her. Well, Yahiko decided it was about time to change that.

He went in search of Kenshin and found the man in the kitchen cleaning fish for dinner. Yahiko lent against the wall a bit behind the older man.

"You know," Yahiko started, "Kaoru isn't going to wait around for you forever. She might get tired and go for Sano if he ever showed more interest in her," Yahiko said casually. Kenshin froze. The knife was half way through a carp, the guts spilling out onto the cutting board.

He seemed to gather himself and continued gutting the fish; "why do you say that, Yahiko?" Kenshin asked.

"Oh, it was just something I over heard Ugly and Megumi talking about the other day," Yahiko was glad Kenshin's back was to him otherwise the game would be up because he could tell he had his mischievous look on his face. Kenshin hummed. Yahiko could tell that the older man was interested, too bad he was making this all up.

"Yeah, she said that she liked you most because you saved the dojo and all from that guy…but that Sano isn't too bad looking…" Yahiko sighed, "but, even if you weren't good looking she should probably snatch you up anyway, seeing as you make a good house wife," Yahiko giggled.

It was then that Kenshin turned to look at him; "are you sure she said that?"

Yahiko nodded and bit his bottom lip so as not to smirk; "yup!"

"This one thanks you the information, that I do," Kenshin said and then returned to pre-paring the fish. Yahiko skipped off. Now that he planted the seeds he'd sit back and see how this whole farce played out. It'd be fun to stir everyone up, besides; and he was bored.

0000

Saito growled; the report was of those street thugs that called themselves Mamono; they are a relatively new street gang, they started out with petty crimes like pick pocketing and illegal gambling. Now they had graduated to bigger crimes, just last week they had kidnapped the daughter of a local merchant and demanded a ransom. The Merchant had paid and had gotten his daughter back, in a pine box. They needed to die.

Aku, Zoku, Zan. The only philosophy he'd ever live his life by; it was too bad that in the Meiji era, as a Policeman sworn to protect, that he couldn't draw his sword and slaughter the whole group. No, they had to go through the courts. Hopefully, with enough evidence they'd be convicted. However, he needed to find said evidence and get one or two of the weaker members to turn against the group, that'd be the only way to achieve justice in the new era.

He threw the report down on his desk and pulled a new cigarette from the box he took from the desk drawer. He'd have to plan this out like the old days; back when the Shinsengumi were something to be feared and Ishin Shi Shi were always trying to keep up. Saito was convinced that if they hadn't had Battousai on their side that the Shogunate would have won that war.

0000

On the outskirts of Tokyo, where forest met city, there are several abandoned huts. And every once in a while, someone takes shelter in these structures. The Mamono Group ranges in the number of ten to fifteen give or take who was out working the streets. Kazuko enjoys her afternoon tea from a chipped tea cup that no one but her can touch. She wears a short Kimono of bright green with an obi of dark blue she'd stolen from some wash line or another. She had tied it in a simple bow, it was so long that the ends dragged on the ground but she didn't care, she liked the look. Her sword was at her side and her long black hair was in a bun on top of her head.

She is the leader of the Mamono and no one questioned her authority. Her men had their reasons of loyalty to her and she didn't ask them what they were. But they did everything she asked and that was all she wanted from them. Slowly, but surely, they were becoming known in the dark underworld of crime and no one wanted to go against them. She planned to be somewhere better at the end of five months. A nice mansion where she wore silk and had maidservants; she licked her lips. The tea was bitter from being steeped for too long; Akira made for a good slave; it was too bad she had to kill him. She looked over at the dead body. Blood crept along the floor and she sighed. His blue eyes were now devoid of life and the look of fear was still on his face even in death. She smiled at him because she had put it there.

"I guess there won't be a next time for you Akira, it's too bad you made rotten tea," she sniffed. And now she'd have to find a new slave to carry out her orders.

0000

The Akabeko was very busy with patrons that night; even Sano, Megumi, Kenshin and Kaoru had shown up for dinner while Yahiko was working. He adamantly refused to serve their table and instead pushed Tai on them. Not that she minded, they could gossip for a few seconds at a time before she was called away to serve another table.

They ordered beef pot because together that was all the pocket money they had. Even Sano was able to contribute some coins to buy the food. Megumi had the fair share because her practice with Dr. Gensi was going well. Kaoru a little less because work for her had been so slow lately and Kenshin only a couple from a previous job he held for just over a week doing some road construction on the outskirts of Kyoto a month or so ago. That money had gone fast and Kenshin knew he had to find something else. It was all find and good to simply clean and cook for miss Kaoru but he felt badly about not being more of a man and contributing like a man should. Sano obviously never felt that way; but Kenshin grew up in a rather traditional household.

"So, did you hear about the Mamono?" Megumi started, "It seems that the police are finally starting to take them seriously,"

"Aren't they the gang that killed that woman last week?" Kaoru asked.

"They did more than that," Sano frowned as he chewed the end of the toothpick, "they chopped her up before sending her back home,"

"That's just disgraceful," Kaoru hummed.

"This one is disturbed that none of us are disturbed by that news," Kenshin muttered. He sipped his tea, their food hadn't arrived yet, but the tea was always a good way to start a meal.

They all looked from one to another, out of the four of them Kaoru was the only one who hadn't really experienced death first hand. The others, however, had a hand in it at one point in time or another.

"You're right, Kenshin," Sano agreed.

"Let's talk about something else," Megumi said, even though she had started the previous conversation; "Guess who finally asked me to the Cherry Blossom festival?" she smirked and Sano blushed.

"Hmmm…" Kenshin played along, "I didn't know you went for tall, strong and oxy,"

Megumi giggled.

"Yeah that's right I asked her…." He sounded pleased before he realized what Kenshin had said, "I am not an OX!" he raged but the other just laughed at the joke.

"Well, Megumi, I didn't know you liked Sano in that way," Kaoru wiggled her eyebrows. It was funny how women could talk about their sexual interests in public and it was always with euphuisms that made Kenshin rather wish he wasn't around for girl talk. Sano didn't seem to care, it was him they were talking about.

"Oh well, he may be dumb some times but sweet, I don't know. I guess it's a nice change," Megumi replied.

"A nice change? As opposed to what, Megumi?" Sano demanded, slightly wanting an answer and at the same time not.

"Ohhohohohoho!" Megumi laughed, Sano could practically see the fox ears pop out of her head as if by magic; "usually I go for strong men like Ken-san! He's so adorable when he fumbles about but he knows exactly what he's doing. Sadly he doesn't seem to want me at all and then you just came around out of no where and showed some interest and so I decided to give it a try!"

Sano looked nonplussed; "give it a try?" he asked.

"Well, I'd have to see how well you did in bed before I make any final decisions….ohohohoho!" Megumi was very pleased with herself for making Sano blush in public.

"Miss Megumi, that's not proper talk, no that it's not!" Kenshin protested as quietly as he could. He hoped no one was listening in on the conversation. That'd be horrible for Megumi's reputation. Sano was trying to splutter something about being a god in bed, but Megumi, being older and wiser in all things (and apparently this included sex) kept saying such cleverly hidden innuendoes that Kenshin wasn't exactly sure if Sano could keep a lid on his imagination.

Kaoru, on the other hand was covering her eyes with one hand and had her head bowed. She was either too pleased by the conversation and didn't want to show it, or not pleased at all. Her reputation, Kenshin suddenly thought, was probably very well tarnished. She did have at least two men in her house at all times who weren't blood related. Even if Yahiko was a kid still he could be over looked, But Sano sometimes stayed over and Kenshin was at the dojo all the time.

People probably thought they were having relations, and maybe that was hurting her school. What if that was why she didn't have friends in the neighborhood. It didn't show but sometimes when they went to the market Kaoru would see someone she knew, and she'd try to talk to them but they'd always run away with excuses. They never stopped by for tea, and they always glared at her when she wasn't looking.

He ruined her. Kenshin suddenly realized.

Sano snapped his fingers in front of Kenshin's face. He blinked; "oro?"

"Are you all right?" Sano asked.

"I'm fine," Kenshin replied, well, he thought as he poured Kaoru more tea, there was nothing for it. She was ruined forever and they hadn't even shared a room, much less intimate relations.

Well, Kenshin sighed, he'd have to give more thought about courting her. He decided that it wasn't that he didn't desire Kaoru; he did from the moment she let him stay at the dojo. It's just, Tomoe is still such a big memory for him, a guilty memory that he had never entertained – until this moment – actually getting on in life and being happy with another woman. The guilt he felt over her death wasn't any less now than when he held her in his arms and she bled all over freshly fallen snow. But, maybe, she wouldn't mind if he did move on. He'd always have a place in his heart for her, and it'd be the same for Kaoru.

Their food finally came and Kenshin tried to be normal, to laugh with the others and not make them worry. Thought of Tomoe always made him a little depressed.

TBC