Disclaimer: If I owned it, this would be in the manga and anime and I wouldn't have to work at Walmart.

Timetable:

Day 1- Kaoru- traveling; Kenshin- traveling.

Day 2- Kaoru- traveling; Kenshin- traveling.

Day 3- Kaoru et al reach Kofu; Kenshin- traveling.

Day 4- Kaoru- Kofu; Kenshin- traveling.

Day 5- Kaoru- Kofu; Kenshin- traveling.

Day 6- Kaoru- Kofu; Kenshin reaches Nagoya.

Day 7- Kaoru- Kofu; Kenshin continues traveling.

Day 8- Kaoru- Kofu; Kenshin reaches Ontako.

Day 9- Kaoru- Kofu; Kenshin- Ontako

Day 10- Kaoru leaves Kofu; Kenshin- Ontako

Day 11- Kaoru- traveling; Kenshin- Ontako

Day 12- Kaoru- reaches Ontako (dusk); Kenshin- Ontako

Day 13- Kaoru- Ontako; Kenshin- Ontako

Day 14- Just read the chapter, already!

Chapter 12

Finding neither hide, nor hair, of the rurouni, Kaoru returned to the inn late, slightly discouraged. Everyone was already asleep by the time she got back. She thought about waking them up and telling them about the rumor but, after thinking about their reactions, decided it would be safer to tell them in the morning. Sighing at her lack of results, she climbed up the stairs to her room, and went to sleep.

. . .

Kenshin awoke bright and early, feeling refreshed and revitalized. Although I wasn't sick for very long, it's good to be healthy again, he thought. His hakama had been washed and left in his room with a dark green gi. His magenta one was nowhere to be found, so he dressed in the green gi and folded the futon. He then went in search of Tsuya.

Not knowing his way around the inn, Kenshin wandered around, looking for a member of the staff who could possibly give him directions. He found the kitchen, which was occupied by two women talking about all the latest gossip. Kenshin was about to interrupt them when he realized what they were talking about.

"You're kidding! Are you sure it was really him?! No one's heard of him in ten years!" the younger one said, eyes wide in surprise.

The older one nodded her head, sagely. "I got it from a very reliable source. It was Battousai, all right, come to cause trouble in our town! We don't need a murderer like him hanging around here! I say we round up all the men, find where he's hiding and run him out of town!" she said, raising her spoon for emphasis.

"But, you've heard the legends, haven't you? No mere mortal can beat him--he'd probably slaughter the lot of them! And then he'd come for us!" the first woman whispered, looking around, as if afraid that talking about Battousai would summon him.

Kenshin had heard enough. Not being able to listen to any more of the conversation, he walked back to his room and gathered his belongings. It was obviously time for him to go.

Tsuya walked up to Kenshin's room, smiling when the shoji opened and he stepped out. "You look good in green. Your other gi was so patched-up and threadbare, that one of the girls thought it was a rag and accidentally cut it up. So I bought you a replacement gi, as an apology," she explained.

Kenshin nodded. "Thank you, Tsuya-san," he said, bowing.

Tsuya's smile faded a little when she noticed that he had all of his things with him. "Well, I see you're feeling better. Are you leaving us already?" she asked.

Kenshin smiled a little sadly, nodding. "Yes," he said, quietly.

"I was hoping you'd stay for awhile longer. I can give you a job, if you'd like. What with the end of summer, we'll soon have our hands full with people from up north, coming down for the winter. We could use the extra help," she said, looking at Kenshin imploringly. She felt a strange attachment to this young man, and was loathe to let him leave.

Kenshin shook his head, his smile becoming a bit forced. "Thank you, for your kindness, but this one must be going," he said, the conversation between the kitchen staff still fresh in his mind. "If you could just show this one the way out?"

"Well, if your mind's made up, then I guess there's nothing I can do to change it," she said, leading Kenshin to the front of the inn.

"How much does this one owe you?" Kenshin asked.

"Don't worry about that. It's on the house."

"Please, you've done so much for this one, that you have; at least allow me to give something in return."

Tsuya sighed. Kenshin was a stubborn one. "Alright, but you'll do me the courtesy of accepting a discount." Kenshin opened his mouth to argue, but she beat him to it. "You insist on paying to satisfy your honor of a debt believed to be owed me. Don't dishonor me by not accepting my gift of a discount," she said, turning and looking at him.

Kenshin blinked. It was rare that someone was able to turn his own logic against him. He smiled, conceding defeat.

Upon reaching the front desk, he paid for his room. Although he didn't know how much she charged for her rooms, he was pretty sure she had given him an outrageous discount. However, not willing to risk another verbal sparring match, he let it slide. She was a crafty lady and, given the chance, would turn his minor victory into a minuscule one.

"Again, thank you for taking care of this one, Tsuya-san," Kenshin said, walking out the door.

"Just call me Tsuya, Kenshin. And don't worry about it, it was my pleasure. Be sure to stop by the next time you're in Ontako!" she called after him.

Kenshin turned, giving her a strained smile. He wasn't sure if he'd come back to Ontako and, if he did, it wouldn't be for years to come. With one last look behind him, Kenshin headed north, towards Iakayama.

. . .

Kaoru woke up early, feeling as if there was something she needed to do. Not being able to remember what it was, she moved over to the window to watch the sun rise. She couldn't remember the last time she had been up this early, but suspected it had something do with whatever it was she needed to do. After the sun came up, she watched the streets down below her filling up with people starting their daily routines. She watched, letting her mind wander, until a flash of red caught her eye. Turning out of habit, her breath caught in her throat at what she saw. There, at the west end of the street, was someone wearing a dark green gi with long red hair tied back at the base of his neck. Kaoru saw his profile as he turned and started walking north. "Kenshin," she breathed.

Kaoru seemed to come out of her daze as he disappeared around the corner. She dressed as quickly as she could, wrestling with her clothes and only taking enough time to make sure she was modestly dressed before running out of her room, accidentally stepping on and waking up Megumi in her haste. She fairly flew down the stairs and was running down the street as if her life depended on it. Despite her best efforts to be quick, not only her clothes, but also the very crowds of people seemed to be against her. Pushing and elbowing her way through the crowds, she finally arrived at where she had seen Kenshin. She was too late. He was already gone.

Not one to give up easily, Kaoru searched for him all morning and well into the afternoon before Sano found her.

"Oi, Jou-chan! Where have you been?! We've been looking for you all day!" Sano hollered, grabbing her arm as she turned to go down another street.

Kaoru blinked, as if just noticing Sano was there. "Oh, Sano! I'm so glad you're here. You'll never guess what happened! Yesterday, I was in the marketplace, and I heard these two old women talking about Kenshin!" she said, excitedly.

Sano cut her off. "Jou-chan, did you listen to the entire story? The rumor is that Battousai, leading a group of bandits, beat and robbed some travelers on the road. Does that sound like Kenshin to you? It's just another fake Battousai. Besides, you know Kenshin's dead. You saw Mt. Hiei," Sano said, quietly.

Kaoru was not to be discouraged, however. "But, Sano, I saw him! This morning, I was sitting by the window, watching the street, and I saw him! He's here, Sano! You've got to help me find him!" she said, pleadingly.

Sano looked indecisive for a moment, but finally nodded his head. "Alright, Jou-chan. Let's split up, so we can cover more ground," he said.

Excited, she agreed and they separated. About fifteen minutes later, she saw Sano talking to Megumi and Yahiko in front of a shop. She made her way over to them, eager to organize the search. She stopped when she heard what Sano was saying and quickly hid in one of the nearby shops before they saw her.

"She thinks she saw Kenshin this morning. I'm tellin' ya, Megumi, she's totally flipped!" Sano said, his voice worried.

Megumi, who had her arms crossed, raised her finger to her chin, thinking. "Well, she hasn't had any problems so far. Why would she start hallucinating now?" she wondered.

"It's because of that fake Battousai. There's a rumor going around that Battousai is in town, and she heard part of it. She must have thought that it meant Kenshin was still alive," Sano said.

"Yes, that might have triggered the hallucination," Megumi agreed.

"So, what do we do?" Yahiko asked, a little uncertainly. He was worried about Kaoru, but he had no idea how to help her.

Megumi seemed to contemplate the matter. "Well, it would be best if we left here as soon as possible. With the rumors about Battousai, she'll only get worse. We need to go somewhere that has no relation to Kenshin, whatsoever."

"Kaoru's not gonna want to leave until she finds Kenshin," Sano said.

"Well, we have to think of a way to get her out of here," Megumi replied.

Kaoru had heard enough. They were so distracted by the conversation, they didn't notice her slip away. She wandered the streets aimlessly, not even bothering to hold back her tears. She had finally seen Kenshin again, only to lose him in the crowds and now her friends, who were supposed to be supportive, thought she was crazy.

Could they be right? she thought, more tears coursing down her cheeks. Maybe I am crazy, and I just don't know it. I mean, Sano was right, there's no way Kenshin could have survived. And I spent all day looking for him, and what do I have to show for it? Am I really crazy? In her mind, she saw Kenshin as she had seen him that morning. The image was strikingly clear. No! I did not imagine it! Kenshin was really here! I don't know how he did it, but he survived! And I'm going to find him! she thought, resolutely, wiping the tears from her cheeks. It didn't matter whether everyone else thought she was crazy. She was going to find Kenshin.

Looking around her, she was surprised to see that she had walked back to the inn where they were staying. She walked down the street, once again going to the place where she had last seen Kenshin. Standing there, she closed her eyes, picturing him turning and walking down the road. He had looked so sad. Where was he going? Kaoru wondered. Idly, she noted that this road went completely through the town. It was then that it hit her.

Kaoru no baka! Kenshin was connected to the Battousai incident. What with all of the rumors, he would have to leave town! That's why he looked so sad! He probably followed this road north, out of town! she thought, excitedly. She turned back towards the inn, eager to tell the others. She stopped before she got two steps. I can't tell anyone about this. They think I'm crazy, and they won't go if I tell them why I want to go north. She thought, trying to come up with a reason. Wait a minute! They want to get me out of town, anyway! I don't even have to approach the subject--I just have to make sure we go the right way!

With a light heart, Kaoru walked back to the inn. Tired from searching for Kenshin all day, she went up to her room and went to sleep, not even bothering to wait up for everyone else to get back.

. . .

Kenshin reached Iakayama around three o'clock that afternoon. Since he had left Ontako before eating breakfast and without buying any food for the road, he decided to eat a late lunch/early dinner at a restaurant. Choosing one called Ryotei Toyoshoku, he entered it, sitting down in one of the booths. He ordered a bowl of plain hot soba, not wanting to splurge too much.

After he had finished his meal, he explored the town, familiarizing himself with it, until the sun started to set. Deciding to start looking for a job the next day, he found a small inn centrally located in the town called The Kouyuu Inn and, after paying, retired to his room for the night.

. . .

The next morning, everyone went down for breakfast. They ate in a bit of an awkward silence, until Megumi caught Sano's eye, giving him a meaningful look.

"Hey, guess what I heard yesterday? Apparently, there's a harvest festival in Iakayama, in about two weeks. We should go check it out," he said.

"Two weeks? We need to leave as soon as possible, if we want to get rooms at an inn," Megumi said. She and Sano watched Kaoru, waiting for her reaction.

Kaoru paused, thinking. Iakayama? Yes, I believe that's a town north of here. "I think that's a wonderful idea," she said. Although Megumi didn't show any surprise, Sano couldn't quite hide his. Kaoru turned to him. "I thought about what you said, Sano. I hadn't heard the entire rumor. It was just another fake Battousai. I guess I just over-reacted," she explained, sadly.

Sano put his hand on her shoulder. "That's understandable, Jou-chan. We all wish Kenshin were here," he said, squeezing her shoulder lightly. He was secretly glad that Kaoru wasn't as insane as they all thought.

Kaoru averted her eyes, looking down at her unfinished breakfast. Thanks a lot, guys, she thought, trying to get rid of the tears that stung her eyes. She had kind of hoped that one of them would contradict her. It still hurt to know that they believed her to be insane. "Well, if we're leaving as soon as possible, I need to go and pack!" she said, standing up and heading for the door. It wouldn't do for them to see her cry. "I'm not really hungry, so Yahiko and Sano can finish my breakfast," she called over her shoulder as she reached the door. Any comment that might have been made about her strange behavior was lost in the fight between Sano and Yahiko over the remaining food.

For all their talk of haste, it wasn't until two hours later that they were packed and on the road to Iakayama.

. . .

Kenshin woke up early, and began searching for a job. He went from store to store, but no one had any positions open. This continued all morning and well into the afternoon before he took a break. Stopping by the inn to pick up a bento box, because he had missed lunch, he walked down and sat by the river, staring into the water. He ate his lunch and let his mind wander.

It is unfortunate that I haven't been able to find a job. However, it may be better that I not stay here. After all, it is only twenty-five miles from Ontako, and rumors do have a tendency to spread far and wide. A few leaves fluttered by in the breeze, reminding him of the season. And what of my memory? It has been several weeks, and I am no closer to remembering what I have forgotten than I was when I left Kyoto. How long shall there be this gap in my memory? Shall I ever regain what I have lost? Kenshin wondered, sadly, watching as the leaves fluttered down into the water and were quickly pulled under by the swift current. Many such thoughts occupied his mind as the sun sank lower into the sky.

Eventually, the sound of children playing distracted him from his thoughts. Not being able to resist, Kenshin rose and followed the sound. Having chosen a secluded spot on the river, Kenshin was on the outskirts of town. Following the children's laughter, he came upon a large clearing. Gathered inside were a group of children, several of whom were flying kites. The strings were passed around, all the children getting a turn. They ran around, trying to keep the kites airborne, while also staying away from the trees.

Kenshin couldn't help but smile as he watched the children playing. Then, his sharp hearing picked out another sound, similar to the laughter, but different. One of the children was crying. Following the sound to its source, Kenshin found a little girl. She was sitting underneath a tree, with a string clutched tightly in her hand. He walked over to her and squatted down to her level. "What's wrong, little one?" he asked her, gently.

She looked up at him, tears rolling down her face. "M-my kite got st-st-stuck," she told him, in between sobs as she gestured to the tree. "And I c-can't get it out!"

Looking up, Kenshin could barely make out the kite in the higher branches. Looking back down at the girl, he smiled. "Perhaps this one can get it down for you."

She looked at him, hopefully. "Really?" she asked, eyes wide.

Kenshin looked back at the kite. It was stuck really high. "I can try," he said, jumping up into the lower branches. The girl watched as Kenshin carefully made his way to the higher branches. Testing the branches to make sure they wouldn't break under his weight, he climbed until he was even with the kite. Unfortunately, the kite had been snagged between the ends of two branches away from the trunk of the tree. Slowly, he walked out on a limb, stretching his arm to reach the kite. His fingers brushed the edge of the kite when he heard a loud crack.

The girl screamed as Kenshin fell, drawing the attention of all the other children. They all watched as Kenshin plummeted towards the ground.

Kenshin's reflexes took over, twisting his body to allow for a better landing. He hit the ground, crouching on his feet with his right hand out in front of him, supporting him. His left hand was holding his sword, making sure it stayed in his obi. Shishou, thank you for making me practice my landings so much, he thought, pausing to make sure he hadn't injured himself in the fall.

The children, who had been watching, started cheering. "Man, that was so cool!"

"How'd you do that?!"

"Can you teach me how to do that?!"

"Did you see that? He was gonna hit the ground, but then he flipped in mid air and landed perfectly! That was awesome!"

Deciding he hadn't been injured, Kenshin stood and looked back at the kite. It was still in the tree, but the second branch holding it in place had broken when Kenshin fell. Deciding a good yank in the right direction would free the paper contraption, Kenshin walked over to the little girl. "May I see your string?" he asked, smiling.

She handed him the string, and he walked away from the tree, back into the open. When he was far enough away, he pulled the string sharply. The kite came out of the tree easily, and landed on the ground a few feet away from him.

Excited, the little girl ran over and hugged him. "Thank you! You got my kite out!" she said, before grabbing her kite and running back to the center of the field with the others.

Kenshin smiled as he watched them for a few more minutes, then headed back towards town. On his way, he happened to overhear part of a conversation between a woman and merchant.

"Please, my husband was recently injured while trying to fix the roof of our house. We live on the other side of town, and I can't carry that by myself. Could you please have someone deliver it?" she asked, indicating a large barrel of rice.

The merchant shook his head. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but all of my help has gone home for the day, and I can't leave the store unattended," he explained, apologetically.

"Perhaps I could carry it for you," Kenshin said, stepping towards them.

The woman turned towards him. He looked young and kind of scrawny, but any help would be appreciated at this point. "That's very generous of you, young man. I am in your debt," she said as Kenshin picked up the barrel, balancing it on his shoulder easily. He's stronger than he looks, she thought. "My house is this way," she said, walking down the street. Kenshin followed her.

She led him to a small house. There was a ladder leaning against the side, and some tools were scattered around it. Going inside, she led him to the kitchen. "Please put the rice down over there," she said pointing.

Kenshin did as he was instructed. "You mentioned your husband was injured while trying to repair your roof. If you would like, I could finish it for you. A leaking roof is not something to have during the rainy season, that it is not."

The woman hesitated for a moment before nodding her head. "I would really appreciate that. I assume you saw the ladder on your way in? That's where he was working. Everything you need should be outside."

Nodding, Kenshin returned back outside. It would be getting dark soon, so he would have to work quickly. Climbing the ladder, he noticed that all that was left to be done was the replacement of a few tiles. Climbing back down the ladder, he gathered all the necessary materials and quickly got to work. He finished just as the sun sank below the horizon. Climbing down the ladder, he gathered up all the tools and knocked on the front door. "Here are your husband's tools," he said, handing them to the lady. "There wasn't much left to be done, so it didn't take me that long to finish it."

"How much do I owe you?" she asked.

Kenshin shook his head. "It was my pleasure, that it was. You don't owe me anything," he said, turning to go.

"Wait. It's late--please stay for dinner. It's the least we can do," she said. "Besides, my husband and I don't have visitors very often."

Smiling, Kenshin agreed, and followed her back into the house,

. . .

Kaoru et al reached Iakayama around 6:00 pm and decided to look for an inn, despite how early it was. Traveling so soon after reaching Ontako had made everyone a little sore, and they were all looking forward to a nice, hot bath. The first inn they came to, at least that they were willing to stay at, was called The Kouyuu Inn. They paid for their rooms and all took a bath, Megumi and Kaoru in one bath room, and Sano and Yahiko in another.

After their baths, they ate dinner in the dining room. Their meal was interrupted by a scream and a crash coming from the kitchen. Abandoning their meal, they all hurried in, wondering what had happened.

Apparently, a young girl had been climbing on the shelves when her weight had caused the entire cabinet to fall on top of her. The girl was crying while the kitchen staff were trying to pick up the cabinet. Sano and Yahiko immediately went over to help, lifting it easily. Kaoru joined in as they began un-burying the girl from the kitchen utensils. The girl screamed when Sano lifted a partially full barrel of rice off of her arm, and Megumi was at her side instantly. She examined the arm, noting the slightly odd angle it was bent at. She turned to tell Sano to get her some supplies when the innkeeper interrupted her.

"What's going on in here?" he demanded, noticing the mess in his kitchen. When his eyes fell on the crying girl's face, he ran over to her, pushing Megumi out of the way. "Yuriko! Are you all right?!" he started to pick the girl up, but she screamed again as he accidentally hit her arm.

"Stop it! Her arm's broken--you're only making it worse!" Megumi said, stopping him from moving the child any further. "I'm a doctor. Fetch all the medicine you have here, and someone start boiling some water," she instructed.

Two members of the kitchen staff moved to carry out Megumi's orders, while the innkeeper remained at Yuriko's side.

"What was a girl doing in the kitchen?" Sano asked, still moving items off of the girl.

"She's my daughter," the innkeeper said, "she comes and goes as she pleases."

One of the employees returned with the medicine. Megumi looked over the contents, picking up two items. "Good, you have willow bark and tienchi ginseng. Use these to make a tea, steeped for ten to fifteen minutes," she instructed. She turned back to the innkeeper. "Perhaps you would like to send for your family doctor? I have to set the arm before it starts to swell, but a second doctor would be useful, especially if she has any other injuries," Megumi suggested.

"I can't spare anyone to fetch the doctor--" he started.

Yahiko cut him off. "I'll go," he volunteered. He didn't like feeling useless, and there wasn't much he could do here. "Just give me directions, and I'm pretty sure I can find him."

The innkeeper looked at him gratefully. "His name is Royama Mashai. He lives on the east side of town."

After getting directions to the doctor's house, Yahiko left, being sure to grab his shinai. After all, you never knew when you were going to need it.

He found the doctor's house relatively easily, and was soon heading back towards the inn, doctor in tow. Having a pretty good idea of where he was headed, Yahiko decided to cut down some of the back alleys, as a short cut. Unfortunately, this turned out to be a bad idea.

As they neared the exit for the alley, two men stepped out from the shadows, blocking their path. "Where're ya going in such a hurry?" one of them asked.

Looking behind him out of reflex, Yahiko noticed five more men behind them.

"Someone as well dressed as you ought to have a lot of cash," the first man said, talking to the doctor. Yahiko drew his shinai, rushing at the two men blocking their way. Not really expecting the kid to be a problem, he took them by surprise, knocking them out. "Run! I'll hold them off!" he yelled to the doctor.

Mashai didn't need to be told twice, quickly running past Yahiko with a quick "Thank you."

Yahiko faced the yakuza as the doctor continued toward the inn. Three more men fell to Yahiko's shinai before the yakuza realized the boy actually had some skills. One of the remaining two ran off, almost instantly reappearing with a lot more guys. They quickly surrounded the boy, most of them unsheathing real swords.

Fortunately for Yahiko, the fact that they were all trying to skewer him at the same time caused them to constantly hit one another's swords. Also the fact that Yahiko was half their size meant he was a smaller target, making him even harder to hit.

Yahiko was holding his own, for the most part. Unfortunately, he was so focused on the swords that he didn't notice the bokken until it connected with the back of his head. Stunned, he fell to the ground; unable to do anything as he watched several yakuza members raise their swords, preparing to end his life.

. . .

To Be Continued