Summary – Yahiko may be the first Apprentice of Kamiya Kasshin Ryu, however, sometimes, he still has to deal with things that only a child can understand.

Disclaimer- I don't own anything.

The Bullying Incident

It was a normal day for Tokyo; the market was in full swing of people haggling over materials that came from over seas or from locals. Himura Kenshin made his way through this crowd with a basket. It made him look like a moron, to be honest, but he hardly cared. For as a Rurouni, he hardly ever cared what anyone thought about him.

Behind him Yahiko followed, he kept an eye on the red headed Ronin while they walked through the crowded street – around him he could pick out the people who were up to no good. But since non of them bothered him and Kenshin, than it hardly mattered.

However, when he looked up, and couldn't find Kenshin, a pang of worry stabbed his heart. But, then he remembered that he was Tokyo's Samurai, and that made him walk straighter than before. He looked around once more, hoping to catch red hair and a pink gi, but the man had disappeared and Yahiko swore under his breath.

"Why does he always have to do that?" he muttered as he made his way toward the Akabeko, he and Kenshin were supposed to meet Kaoru and Sano there. So he thought it would be better to go straight to the meeting place instead of trying to find Kenshin himself.

His irritation rose as he had to go through a huge crowd of people.

"This is stupid," he sighed. He looked around for a way to bypass these people. It was then that he saw the alley way, he knew the back streets of Tokyo like the back of his hand, and so, he knew that the alley way would connect to another street that would get him to the Akabeko while also bypassing the market completely.

Hotaka was bored, and since he was bored than so were the other boys. The gang consisted of three boys, Hotaka, the oldest by six months, Ichiro, the second oldest by three months, and then there was the youngest, Kaito. They were all orphans because their parents had died some time ago. It had been a year since these boys met and they made a scrapping of a life.

Pick-pockets, all of them, they would do what they could and then pool their money for something to eat, or they would just steal it anyway. They hung out in this alley way between the Beef Pot place and the Market Place. It was the quickest way to get to either place. Sometimes, if they were lucky and they waited long enough they could sneak into the back of the Akabeko to get some good food. But half the time they had to go through the trash.

Hotaka was the first to see the boy in the yellow gi, he had a wooden sword strapped to his back and he looked to be in a rush. Hotaka pointed the boy out to Kaito and Ichiro. They decided, that since they were so bored, they'd at least have a bit of fun.

"Hey, you!" Hotaka yelled at the kid, "You have to pay if you want to pass through," he said.

"What? Are you crazy?" the boy gave him a look.

"You better do what the boss said, or else!" Kaito piped up.

"Oh, go to hell, like I'm gonna pay you to use an alley way that I have all ready used several times before!" the boy waved his hand at them as if he knew everything.

"Well, now you do," Ichiro said.

"Oh yeah…?"

"Yeah, get him boys!" Hotaka yelled.

"Damn, damn, damn…" Yahiko muttered on his way home. He had been beaten up plenty of times, and he was pretty good with his bokken the only problem was he honestly never really did fight a group of people. Those guys who had been trying to rob the family of the Akabeko were scared off by Sano and Kenshin, though, Yahiko did put up a good fight. His problem, Kamiya Kasshin didn't actually teach you how to fight a group of people. It was more, one on one.

Not to mention, those boys had taken all the money the he had gotten from Tai at the Akabeko for working for her all that week. He was going to spend it on a present for Kaoru, but now he had nothing and her birthday was in two days.

How am I going to get more money?he wondered to himself as he walked on. He didn't even realize the he had walked passed Saitou who saw the broken sword that Yahiko dragged on the ground with his head hanging as he did so. He was only brought out of his thoughts when he finally got back to the Dojo. There, he saw that Kenshin was sitting on the porch and that Kaoru was nowhere in site.

"Yahiko-kun, what happened to you…?" Kenshin asked.

"I…well…it's hard to explain…" Yahiko started.

"Why don't I get the bath started for you, you need to change into a new gi, that you do…and…your bokken is broken," Kenshin said, his voice suddenly turned stern.

"It was an accident," Yahiko said.

"Really…?" Kenshin gave him a looked that said plainly that he didn't believe a word Yahiko had said.

"Hai," Yahiko replied, knowing full well and good that he was lying to the man he considered a father. But, it wasn't as bad as the time he had taken Kenshin's sword without his knowing and therefore putting Kenshin into a dangerous predicament.

"All right, this one will go get the bath ready for you," and with that, he walked off. Yahiko hurried to his bedroom to hide the broken sword, maybe he could bind it back together again or something of that nature. Of course, the store house had loads of bokken's. He could switch it during the night and Kaoru wouldn't know the difference. But what if Kenshin said something about it…?

Deciding not to worry about it, and heeding Kenshin call, Yahiko hurried to go get into the bath that Kenshin had nicely prepared for him. Kenshin just gave him a smile, a smile that Yahiko couldn't place when he passed to enter the bath house.

"I wonder if I should talk to him," Kenshin muttered. He had returned to the dojo to make dinner. He had worried over this since he had first seen Yahiko and knew that the boy had lied to him. Kenshin could feel the boys chi grow anxious when he had spoken. Kenshin always knew when someone was lying to him, however, he wasn't Yahiko's father, he couldn't really….

"I could though, besides Sano, this one is the only one that Yahiko looks up too…"

True, he figured that Yahiko must look up to him. Most young swords people who were learning usually looked up to those who all ready mastered an art. Kenshin sighed as he started to cut up some carrots. He figured that Yahiko looked up to him like that after he had saved Kaoru and Yahiko from the Yakuza. It wasn't all that hard, really, all he had to do was raise enough hell.

Yakuza boss' were the sort that wanted to keep what they had, cut their losses and go on with life; Kenshin had been counting on that little detail when he had gone after Kaoru and Yahiko – knowing that if they could, the Yakuza would take advantage of Kaoru-dono – making her do terrible things because she had tried to save Yahiko.

Her innocence was not to be tarnished!

THWACK! Kenshin cut a carrot in half violently.

"Oh man! Kaoru is going to kill me," Yahiko muttered as he looked at the broken sword in front of him. It had splintered badly and was totally useless. He shook his head as he fell over, not knowing exactly what to do nor how to do it.

"Yahiko-kun, may I come in?"

It was Kenshin, he had the shoji open slightly and he wasn't about to leave. Yahiko nodded at the man and Kenshin, as quietly as the manslayer he had once been, entered the room.

"Kaoru-dono is asleep, is there anything you want to talk about?" Kenshin asked.

"What…er – no, not really…"

"Don't lie to me, Yahiko, it does not suite you," Kenshin said gently. Yahiko looked at the floor.

"What if…what if you found that you are weak….again…?"

"In what way? As in not being able to help someone?" Kenshin asked.

"No, not being able to help yourself,"

"You can always help yourself,"

"But…what if…what if you have done something all your life, and all of a sudden, someone takes it from you…wouldn't you be mad? Like, if another Rurouni came and took your laundry, wouldn't you want to take your sword and hit him?"

"Well…this one cannot say that he wouldn't be mad, that this one wouldn't. However…why would he want to take the laundry?"

"Damn it! Kenshin! It was just an example!"

"SHHHHHH!!! Kaoru-dono is sleeping," Kenshin reminded his young charge.

"Right, Gomen,"

"All right then, will you please tell this one what is going on and what your odd questions are about?"

"It's complicated,"

"Try me, maybe I can help you,"

"Fine, I got into a fight today,"

"I knew that," Kenshin replied.

"They beat me up and broke my bokken, then they said I was pathetic,"

"Oh, so you ran into some bullies?" Kenshin asked.

"Well, yes, I suppose so,"

"And what are you going to do about it?" Kenshin asked.

"Get stronger, figure out how to fight a crowd and then go beat their asses," Yahiko replied.

"A bit violent, don't you think?"

"No!"

"All right, all right, I can see you aren't going to listen to me," Kenshin sighed.

"Whatever makes you think that I don't listen to you?"

"I'm not sure, that I'm not," Kenshin shrugged.

"Well, I do listen, just not so that you know," Yahiko said then he slapped his hands over his mouth.

"Yahiko-kun…I'll tell you something if you promise to not tell anyone else," Kenshin said.

"I promise, you can count on me!" Yahiko looked at him excitedly.

TBC

A/n -- LOL I did that on purpose. Please review!