It had been a quiet, slow day at the Kamiya dojo. The work was put away, and the last of the new students sent home, and Kenshin and Kaoru were settled on the engawa sipping at tea and enjoying the sunset.
"Ne, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin began slowly, "This one has been wondering. Outside of your parents, were there any other family members bearing the name Kamiya?"
"I think my father had a sister, but she died long before I was born. Her husband and children died..." She trailed off, not precisely sure she should finish the statement.
"During the Bakumatsu?" Kenshin finished for her, guessing the cause of her hesitation.
"Aa. But her husband's family name was Tominaga. They supported the bakufu, but none with the name Kamiya would have fought, aside from my father."
And they let the conversation die, enjoying the cool quiet of the evening. Before long, Yahiko would be back from his shift at the Akabeko, and the usual chaos would ensue.
Kenshin allowed his mind to wander a bit, back to that Kamiya from the Shinsengumi. A young, young samurai. Perhaps even younger than Kenshin himself at the time. That child had followed Okita Souji around like a puppy. Not the best of fighters, and rather small; but full of determination and a smattering of common sense. The first time he'd run into the boy, he'd thought the youth was a girl. In fact, he reflected (which caused him to choke on a snigger), that child had been quite like Kaoru-dono. Who was, of course, in his very unworthy opinion, much prettier than the other Kamiya.