So this is what used to be chapters 4 and 5 so it's a bit big.
Kaoru sat across from Kenshin at breakfast. She faced him, and he broke eye contact first, turning his head away. Yahiko looked back and forth between them and cautiously asked, "Are we going to do something today?"
"Like what?" she asked.
"Like about what happened to the Akabeko."
Kenshin looked back to her then. "We might," she responded slowly.
"I thought you guys got some information when you went up the mountain," Yahiko said.
"We did," Kenshin answered. "We're not sure what to do with it yet."
"So you're going to do something eventually?" he asked.
"We don't know enough."
"But it's something bad," Yahiko finished with a heavy sigh. "Kaoru, are we going to be able to practice all day again since we can't work at the Akabeko?"
"We can if you like, but you don't need to push yourself. You drank a lot last night, and I'm surprised you look as well as you do," she responded, looking him over again for any signs of illness.
"I'll drink a lot of water," he promised, stuffing his face to end the conversation.
"When do you think Sano will get here?" she asked Kenshin.
"Likely around noon, he did drink about as much as Yahiko," he answered.
"That should be plenty of time for me and Yahiko."
"I'll let you know if he arrives early."
Kaoru felt antsy as she studied Yahiko's performance. The situation with the Akabeko had to be bringing all of his fears to the forefront, but he didn't perform his strikes with any sort of desperation to try and markedly improve them too quickly. She still didn't know if this was the right time to talk to him again about dealing with those fears. She began her own kata to work off some of her nervous energy and to focus on something else even if just for a little while.
They broke for lunch, and Sano arrived as they finished eating. "Did you save anything for me?" he asked.
"You can help yourself to whatever is left," Kaoru told him.
"Thank you," he said, taking the place they had set aside for him on the assumption that he'd show up for food.
"Is it alright if I go help Tsubame with her stuff?" Yahiko asked.
"Yes, but be careful," she said sternly.
"I will be," he promised before hurrying off.
"I need to finish preparing a space for her," Kaoru said, cleaning up after herself. "Finish eating and when I get back we can figure out what we want to do about this jinchuu."
It didn't take much time or effort to prepare a space for the girl out of the area of the house that still didn't get much use. It mostly meant adjusting unused furniture that her family had collected over time. She returned to Kenshin and Sano discussing how Sano's hand was recovering.
"It should hopefully be okay for this," Sano said, running his fingers over the knuckles of his bandaged hand.
"That is good news," Kenshin said with a nod.
"Are we ready?" she asked, sitting with them again.
"Do you have a map?" he asked.
"Yeah, I can run and grab it," she said, getting right back on her feet. It didn't take much time to locate her most recent map of the city. She laid it out flat between the three of them, noting the position of her home, the Akabeko, and Mt. Ueno.
Sano tapped Mt. Ueno's position. "The police concluded that the attack wasn't aimed at the Akabeko. They said it was a test or a misfiring of an illegally manufactured gun by dissatisfied samurai. I don't think that's right though. Mt. Ueno is the best high point in the city to get a direct hit on the place. We can't count on whatever conclusions they make."
Kenshin nodded in agreement. "Unfortunately, they just don't know enough of the circumstances."
"What are the circumstances of jinchuu?" Kaoru asked. "I'm not well versed in revenge creed. What do those people intend to do by means of jinchuu?"
"They want to get at Kenshin," Sano said blandly.
"Yeah, but how?" she asked, directing her question at Kenshin, "How do they intend to punish you? Was targeting the Akabeko the warning or part of it?"
"I'm not certain. The one handed man may or may not have something to do with the group. Even if he is, I do not believe he would be the leader. He certainly wouldn't be the financier so he couldn't exert influence in that manner. I can't say without knowing more about whoever is leading," he answered.
"So it could be either, but lucky for us," Sano said, pointing at three different areas on the map, "Kenshin only hangs out around here, the Akabeko, and the Oguni Clinic. His being anti-social finally becomes handy."
Kenshin gave Sano a flat look. "Did you really have to put it that way?"
"That's not all he does, though. He goes shopping and he talks to other people," she pointed out. "He's not a complete hermit."
"That doesn't make it any better," Kenshin said, giving her the same look he had given Sano.
"How do you know that?" Sano asked, "Are you keeping tabs on him or something?"
"No," she said, shaking her head. "I'm just with him a good portion of the time. He's talked to plenty of store owners, and he's been to Maekawa's dojo, too."
"I doubt those people and places would matter in the case of this jinchuu," Kenshin said, crossing his arms.
"They could attack pretty much any place in Tokyo and get to you," she noted.
"What makes you say that?" he asked, looking intently down at the map.
"Wait a second," Sano said, holding up a hand to stop their conversation, "Kaoru, you just said you were with Kenshin most of the time, right?"
"Yeah," she said, wondering what he was getting at. She glanced over to Kenshin to see that he had paled, clearly having gotten whatever Sano was alluding to. Her concern grew heavy in her chest.
"You spend a lot of time in the same places Kenshin does," he continued, starting to look genuinely worried.
"I do," she said, feeling the concern turn sharp, "You don't think…they wouldn't target me to get to Kenshin, would they?"
She couldn't look over to Kenshin.
"It's a definite possibility. He only hangs around the Akabeko, and it was hit. But you? He has been living with you for a while, and he's known you the longest out of all of us," Sano said, nervousness in his voice.
Kaoru ran a hand over her forehead, taking a calming breath. "This is like a worst case scenario."
"Indeed, whoever the leader may be, he is well informed about me," Kenshin said. "We can't assume they'll pull any punches either."
"In any case, there aren't enough of us to cover everywhere or everyone Kenshin is in contact with," Sano said, breaking up the silence. "We'll have to prioritize."
"Do we assume then that anyone tied to the Akabeko is no longer a target?" she asked. "Tae's family is hiring protection, and Tsubame will be with us in any case."
"Yeah, I don't think we can do anything more with the Akabeko," Sano said, running a hand over his chin.
"Then we focus on here and the clinic. We should be prepared for them to strike elsewhere though, just in case," Kenshin decided.
"What about Yahiko?" she asked, "Should we tell him?"
"I do not think it would be wise to inform him given his concerns," Kenshin said quietly.
"What happens if they attack here then? What if he's blind-sided by an attack? Can we afford to let that happen?" she asked.
Kenshin and Sano shared a look. She held in a frustrated sigh. "It's fine to not want to worry him, but he already knows something is going on. What if we get separated from him, and he doesn't know?"
She clenched her teeth, trying to keep in so many other worries she had concerning Yahiko's safety.
"I don't want a repeat of the Aoiya," Kenshin said.
"The only reason the defense of the Aoiya went as well as it did was because we were prepared for the attack. You even told Hiko to prepare for it. We already have fewer allies and fighters, and we have no idea who or how many we are up against," she said, frowning. "It's a good thing I followed you onto Mt. Ueno otherwise you wouldn't have told me about this at all."
"I'd rather you weren't involved in this, but since that doesn't seem possible I would like it if you were away from the fighting. I want you to be safe," he said, a strain developing in his tone.
"You're going to tell me that after last night? They've destroyed my friend's business, and they're probably targeting my home and me. How am I supposed to stay away from the fighting?" she asked, wanting to shake him. "Kenshin, you need as many people helping you as you can possibly get."
"You've never fought people like these. I don't want you to get hurt no matter what," he snapped.
"And that's why they'll try to hurt me," she roared, slamming her hand onto the floor. "You can't protect everyone."
"I know," he spat back just as ferociously. He tugged his hair sharply. "Least of all you, it seems, since you insist upon putting yourself in harm's way."
"Dammit, Kenshin, I don't do it anymore than you do. Now, maybe you know how I felt when you told me you were going to run off to Kyoto."
"I couldn't let Shishio do as he pleased and run a bloody swath through the country."
"That didn't make him your responsibility. We have a government."
"A shitty, incapable one, seeing as it still has me doing its dirty work," he retorted bitterly.
"At least we're in agreement on something," Sano said with a strained tone, forcing his way between them to stall their argument. "I think you both really, really need to calm down."
She realized how hard she was breathing and how she had shifted forwards during the argument. Her face felt too hot, and her chest too tight. She leaned back, shook her head, and gathered herself up again. She glanced at Kenshin to see him running a hand over his face.
"Sorry," she said quietly, looking away.
"I apologize as well. I should not have lost my temper," Kenshin said.
"What is happening with you two?" Sano asked. "You've never argued like this before. Kenshin, I don't think I've even seen you mad outside of a battle."
Kaoru gritted her teeth and crossed her arms. "I don't know."
"You're gonna have to figure it out then because I really don't think we need this right now," he said. "Kaoru, we can tell Yahiko, alright? As soon as he gets back."
"I think it would be best if I handled that myself," she said.
"Okay that works too," he said. "Is there anything else we need to talk about then?"
Kenshin shook his head. "Not at this time."
Kaoru determinedly didn't look at Kenshin as they continued to sit together silently.
"I'm back!" Yahiko shouted, causing all three adults to jump. "Tsubame's got all her stuff."
Kaoru went to greet their new arrival. "How are you today, Tsubame? I can help you set up your stuff."
"I'm well," she responded. "Thank you for letting me stay."
"It's no trouble."
"I'm gonna be in the dojo waiting for you," Yahiko said, tapping Kaoru's arm as he passed her.
"Alright, I'll be there in a little while," she promised, turning back to give Tsubame a smile. "You can follow me."
Kaoru led her to the room she had prepared for her. "You can set up however you want."
"You don't need to help me if you need to practice with Yahiko," Tsubame said as she set her bag on the ground. "There's not really much I need to do anyways."
"If you're sure," Kaoru said, taking a half step back.
Tsubame nodded.
"Alright, I'll let you be," she said, already moving towards the dojo. She felt a slight twinge of guilt for not helping Tsubame more, but she needed to talk to Yahiko. She entered the dojo to find him kneeling on the dojo floor and waiting for her.
"Kaoru no shihandai!" he suddenly shouted at her, "From this day on, please hand down the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu succession techniques!"
"You want the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu succession techniques?" she asked, wondering where this has come from and feeling completely off balance, especially after her yelling match with Kenshin.
"Yes, I ask as if you were a man!" he continued, oblivious to her tone and expression.
The left over anger bubbled, and she bashed Yahiko over the head with her fist. It was perhaps a bit harsh, but she was furious. "I'm not a man! Ask me as the woman I am!" she yelled back at him.
"That doesn't make any sense!" he shouted, holding his hand over his injured head.
"You need to show me the same amount of respect you would if I were a man! I'm still your teacher, regardless of the fact that I'm a woman!" she returned, setting her fists on her hips.
"What does it matter?" he asked. "Just hurry up and tell me the techniques!"
"What makes you think I would with that attitude of yours?" she snapped, standing her ground.
He collected himself then asked again, "Will you please teach me the succession techniques?"
"Not right now, Yahiko," she said, crossing her arms. "We need to talk."
"What do you mean!? I just asked you nicely and everything!" he snapped.
"Calm down!" she volleyed back at him, trying to calm her own temper. "This isn't about the techniques. Something's happened."
"What's happened? Does it have to do with the Akabeko getting shot up?" he asked, finally returning to normal volume.
"Yes, when we went up the mountain, we found that the shooter had left a note," she explained.
"What'd it say?"
"Jinchuu," she said, feeling like a heavy weight had settled on her shoulders as she spoke the word. "Someone or some people are out for revenge against Kenshin. We think they might attack people he knows and places he's been to. This place and everyone living here is included in that list."
"So what do we do?" he asked, looking up at her with his usual determination and an almost concealed amount of fear.
She grimaced. "I'm not sure. We didn't decide."
She took a seat on the floor of the dojo beside him.
"You didn't decide? Why not?" he asked, shifting to face her a little more.
"Yeah, I got into an argument with Kenshin," she admitted, running her hand through her bangs before pushing them aside.
"With Kenshin?" he asked, sounding shocked. "You never fight with Kenshin. You didn't even fight when we found him in Kyoto."
"Yeah, well, now I fight with him. With Kyoto and now this, I'm sure we have plenty to yell at each other about," she said with a sigh. "Kenshin didn't want me to tell you about this."
"Why not?"
"I don't really understand his reasoning. He wants us safe, but then refuses to give us the information we need to defend ourselves," she said, rolling her shoulders to lessen the tension she was starting to feel in them. "I get that he doesn't want us involved, and I'd rather none of us were involved, but it's better we work together since we are all involved anyways."
"I," Yahiko started then took a breath and started over. "I don't like that this is happening, but I guess I like that I know it's happening. How bad is this jinchuu if it's got you and Kenshin fighting?"
"Bad enough, the biggest problem right now is that we don't know enough about our enemy. We can't plan very much."
"But, we'll make it, right?" he asked, looking at her earnestly. "Together, like you said?"
"You still want to help us? Is that why you asked about the techniques?"
He nodded, determined.
"Give me a day to decide. We all need to be prepared for this jinchuu, and the techniques could be a benefit. However, I really shouldn't be teaching you any of the techniques without the philosophy of the style," she explained.
"But you already taught me the philosophy," he said, giving her a questioning look.
"I taught you part of it, yes," she conceded with a nod and a slight smile.
"Just how much is there to this philosophy?" he asked.
"A lot," she said with a slight chuckle as she got to her feet. "Time for practice."
Kaoru felt a bit better about things with the feeling of accomplishment that came with working up a sweat. Tsubame came to the dojo to collect them for dinner. "Sano left some time ago to visit the doctor, but I helped Kenshin-san make dinner so I hope you both will like it," she informed them as they walked to the main room.
"Anything's better than Kaoru's cooking," Yahiko said brightly.
"Hey," Kaoru said warningly. "You watch your mouth about my cooking."
"I'm only telling the truth," he said, darting away laughing as she swung for him.
Kaoru paused when they entered the main room, seeing Kenshin already seated and waiting for them. He met her gaze. She sat down, noting that Tsubame looked warily between the both of them and that Yahiko pointedly didn't. She served the meal silently.
"It's good, Tsubame," Kaoru said after her first bite.
"Thank you," she responded, beaming.
No one said anything after that throughout the meal. Kaoru half expected Sano to show up again, but he never arrived. She caught Tsubame giving her a sad look, and Yahiko barely looked up from his food.
"Let's go," Yahiko said to Tsubame as soon as she had finished eating.
She glanced to Kaoru for permission, and Kaoru nodded. "Alright," Tsubame said, following Yahiko from the room.
Kaoru sucked in a breath and asked, "Do you think something will happen tonight?"
"Most likely," he answered, beginning to gather all of the dishes.
"And where will you be?" she asked as she followed his lead.
"I'll stay here until we find that I'm needed elsewhere."
"And Sano?"
"I believe he will be at the clinic," he said, standing with the dishes he had collected.
"I'll keep watch over Yahiko and Tsubame," she told him, following him to the kitchen with her own load of dishes to wash.
He nearly stopped short, turning to look at her. "I guess that is what you meant by asking others for help."
"What else would I mean by it?"
"I just hadn't considered it that way. People helping in the past usually ended with them in my way to both of our detriments," he explained as he set the dishes in the sink. "It has almost always been a single battle, no matter how many opponents, but if there are multiple battles, it's true I can't be in two places at once."
"Ten years of habit can do that to a person," she said, taking his words as an apology for earlier and setting the dishes in the sink as well.
"I still wish for you to remain safe," he said as he began to wash the dishes. "But I suppose I misinterpreted you before. I did not mean to be ungrateful of your help."
"And I shouldn't have yelled at you over it," she said, taking the clean dish from his hands to dry it.
He tilted his head. "I yelled back. We're even there."
"Still, you should probably learn to fight alongside other people."
He looked like he'd swallowed something particularly bitter, and she laughed. "It is not funny. Fighting alongside another swordsman has always seemed like a bad idea given my style," he said.
"I couldn't help it. The face you made," she said, putting a hand over her mouth to try and stifle her giggles.
He shook his head, returning to washing the dishes. She picked up the towel again to dry the next dish. "You should still consider it."
"Perhaps."
"We should check on Tsubame and Yahiko," she said as she finished the last dish.
He nodded and followed her out of the kitchen. Yahiko and Tsubame sat on the engawa of the dojo, and Yahiko waved his arms about wildly as he talked. Tsubame responded with something, and Yahiko nearly fell over laughing.
"At least they're happy," Kaoru said, crossing her arms.
"I seem to remember you laughing around five minutes ago."
Tsubame noticed them and waved for them to come over. Kaoru led the way over to the dojo. "Is there something you needed?" Kaoru asked the girl.
"No," she answered, looking between her and Kenshin. "Do you want to sit with us?"
Yahiko shook his head fervently. Kaoru pushed his head away and answered Tsubame. "No, we're alright. We can sit over there."
"Oh, alright."
"I want you both in bed by sundown," she said, giving them stern looks.
Tsubame nodded, and Yahiko crossed his arms and grumbled, "Fine."
Kaoru took a seat with Kenshin on the house's engawa. "It's going to be a long night," Kenshin said.
"I imagine so. I don't think I've stayed up all the way through the night before."
"I assure you, it's not pleasant."
"At least we'll have each other's company."
"That is something," he said, smiling.
She couldn't help smiling back. The moment faded too soon. "It's too nice an evening for this," Kaoru said quietly.
"All evenings are too nice."
She sighed, letting their conversation fade into silence and Tsubame's and Yahiko's voices reign over the courtyard. She glanced at Kenshin to see him looking at her. She quickly pulled her gaze away again, blushing rapidly.
The sun set eventually, and Tsubame and Yahiko traded goodnights with them before leaving to settle in their rooms for the night. Kenshin cast a wary glance over to the dojo gate. Kaoru couldn't relax, the usual calm of sitting with Kenshin having completely disappeared with the daylight. She listened intently to every sound, and jumped at anything that seemed a little too loud.
Hours later, a bang sounded on the gate of the dojo. Kenshin leapt to his feet, and Kaoru quickly followed after him. She glanced back to see Yahiko running up to them, shinai in hand.
"Stop!" Kenshin commanded whoever was on the other side, "Back away slowly!"
"Please…open the gate," a weakened voice cried out to them. "If you don't…the Maekawa dojo will be…"
Kaoru felt like ice had been dropped down her spine. "We have to open the gate."
Kenshin unbarred the gate and opened the door only slightly. He led the way out. Kaoru gasped at the sight of a bloody student sitting on her doorstep. Her stomach became unsettled.
"Help me with him," she asked Kenshin, taking one side of the man to help him to his feet.
Kenshin took his other side. "He wasn't attacked with a blade."
They quickly helped him to get inside the dojo walls, setting him on the house's engawa.
"What happened?" Yahiko asked, coming to Kaoru's side. "Someone challenge the dojo?"
"No," the student responded, shaking his head slowly. "The man meant to kill. I ran to the police, but they couldn't help. If he keeps going, he'll kill them all."
"Go," Kaoru told Kenshin, and he nodded once before running.
"I'm coming too!" Yahikio shouted as he got to his feet.
"Stay here!" he yelled back at him. "Bar the door. I'll be back by morning."
"Yahiko, bar the gate then grab our medicine chest," she ordered, drawing the boy's focus back to them. He nodded and headed towards the gate.
"Is it alright if I check your injuries?" she asked the student.
He nodded wearily and parting his gi to give her access to the worst of it. Kenshin had been correct in saying there hadn't been a blade involved, but it didn't seem like bare fists were used either. "What happened?" she asked. "It almost seems like it would have been better if you had been attacked with a blade."
"He had on some type of large metal arm guards and just went around beating people," the student explained.
Kaoru grimaced, hoping that Sano would arrive to face that opponent first.
"I've got it," Yahiko said, holding up the medicine chest.
"Thank you," she said, taking the chest from him.
Kaoru checked the man's wounds for any sort of dirt or debris, finding little. A small mercy given that it seemed like sections of his skin had been scraped away in strokes too broad to stitch together again or as shallow puncture that she had no idea how to treat. A blade reaching so shallowly truly would have been kinder. She covered and bound his wounds to stop the bleeding at least.
"That's all I can do for you," she said, shaking her head. "I'll help you to a doctor in the morning."
"Thank you, Kamiya-san," he said sincerely, giving her a smile laced with pain.
"It's no trouble. Can you walk? It'd be better if I could get you on a futon for tonight."
"I think so," he said with a nod. "I made it all the way here."
"Alright, just move slowly," she said, holding out her hand for him to use as a brace. He moved slowly, using both the engawa and her arm to help balance himself as he made to stand on the ground. He swayed when he stood, but he didn't collapse.
"Good, I'll help you get inside," she said. She adjusted his arm so that he had her shoulders to brace himself on rather than just her arm as they moved.
"Thank you," he said again as she got him into the main room. "You're much too kind."
"I couldn't do anything less than this. Honestly, I'd prefer to get you a doctor now, but it's not safe with these attacks."
"I understand," he said, short of breath from the effort of walking. She helped him sit then rushed out to collect an extra futon for him. It was a little worn and not something she would have liked to give a guest, but she didn't have any other choice. She brought it back to the main room, set it beside the student, and prepared it for him to sleep in.
"I can do it from here," he told her when she moved to help him onto the futon. "I'll just rest."
"Alright," she said, watching carefully as he winced while shifting himself onto the bed. "I'll check on you in the morning then."
"Thank you," he called to her again as she left the room.
"You're welcome," she said before shutting the shoji to give him privacy as he slept. She hoped selfishly that if they had attacked the Maekawa dojo they wouldn't attach her home. She turned to face the gate and saw that Yahiko had taken to standing watch in front of it.
"Yahiko," she called out to him, crossing the yard to join him. He didn't turn to face her.
"Are you alright?" she asked, putting a hand on his tense shoulder.
"I'm fine," he said, his words coming out like a sigh and his shoulders dropping. "But I don't like this."
"I don't like it either," she said, glancing at the gate and wondering what was happening outside of it.
"It's not just about jinchuu," he responded. "I don't want to be weak and be left behind. I want to help."
"Yahiko, you are still learning, and you've helped me tonight. Just because you aren't doing what Kenshin is doing doesn't mean you're being left behind and are doing nothing," she explained turning him towards her.
"How are you okay with this?" he asked, looking up at her. "Staying here and not going out to fight with Kenshin and Sano?"
Kaoru searched for a moment, wondering which part of his sentence made it feel off. "Because we're not fighters, Yahiko. We may fight plenty, but that doesn't make us fighters. We're protectors, and we cannot fail. I could never and would never want to fight Kenshin's battles if it meant that the one we need to protect dies. The point isn't to be strong enough to win battles. It's to be strong enough to prevent others from being killed. Whoever is capable of success fights that battle."
"But don't you still need to be strong for that? Isn't it still good?" he asked, looking away from.
"Strength is a tool, a mean and not an end. It's something you use. A lot of people greatly value strength, but that doesn't change what it is. Strength is only as good as your use of it."
"Why is everything so complicated?" he asked, frustrated.
"What would we do without life's complexities?" she asked then shook her head. "Yahiko, you need sleep."
"But I need to keep watch," he said, snapping his attention back to the gates.
"I can do that. I promise I'll wake you should anything happen."
He considered her for a moment then nodded. "Alright."
She released a sigh once he'd returned to his room. She wearily collected her bokken to stand guard with. She truly did stand for some time before backing from the gate to take a seat on the nearest engawa. She sat there all night, tense and waiting for any sort of disturbance. The sun rose after too long, and eventually Yahiko came out to check the situation.
"Are they back yet?"
"No."
For someone who wasn't educated except for in swordsmanship, Kenshin is pretty competent in understanding tactics and politics. These kinds of things come up when you reread things multiple times.
Anyways, it's relevant because I feel like Kenshin should have been able to conclude a few more things about the situation than what was given in the manga. That said, Kenshin is a very specialized fighter. He fights only on his own and only with a sword. Aside from the fight where he accidentally kills Tomoe, no one ever steps in to help him in a fight. I think it's likely another swordsman had tried, and it likely ended with that person getting in Kenshin's way because he doesn't have any idea of how to fight with someone. His gut reaction to someone suggesting to help him is to shoot them down so they don't get hurt. However, Kenshin probably hasn't ever had to fight multiple battles like he has with Shishio and the Juppongatana with the people helping him fighting in a completely different space from him. Kaoru is a little more open in her definition of help.
Basically, Kenshin and Kaoru fight because they both want the other to stay safe but have conflicting definitions of help.
Please review (if you can)!