Sanosuke grinned at the ninja. "So, you heard of me, eh? Well, you know, the name Sagara Sanosuke isn't my most famous one! I used to be called Zanza the gangster!!" He stood grinning, waiting for the other fighter's reaction.
"I've heard of you," Yuji said softly. He then quickly kicked his left foot off the ground and blasted upward into the air, landing deftly on the tip of a bamboo tree. "Na-nanda?! What the hell are ya doin??" Sanosuke stuttered. Yuji jumped from the bamboo and laughed merrily…
Then he landed on Sanosuke's head softly, with so little weight on impact that the tall man didn't even realize that he was there until a few seconds later.
"WHAT THE HELL?!?! GET OFF MY HEAD, YOU YARO!!!!"
Yuji smiled. "You have a very strong head," he commented. "My apologies for being so rude. I was testing your reflexes, just to be sure that you were really Sagara Sanosuke, as you say," he explained, putting on hand behind his head. He promptly fell off of Sanosuke's head and did a few flips on the ground, skidding to a stop a few meters away from the wary fighter. Yuji bowed low. "I am very honored to meet you. I have traveled here from China to request something from you. Your reputation precedes you," he complimented.
Sanosuke, just a little bit overwhelmed by this whole crazy event, started at Yuji's words. He looked at the strange fighter head to toe. Yuji wore leather gloves cut off at the knuckles, laced sandles and socks, a blue ninja's outfit which covered his entire face, excepting the eyes, and a midnight blue cloak which nearly enveloped his entire body. Yuji's bare arms were muscular, but not bulky. He handled the bamboo pole with great confidence, obviously skilled in the art of pole fighting. Sanosuke considered the ninja. Well, he DID only attack that gangster guy, and he SEEMS to be nice enough, he consented.
"Whaddaya want from me?" Sanosuke demanded.
Yuji's eyes lit up. "Take me to Himura Kenshin," he said.
* * *
Sanosuke's eyes went wide. "How do you know about Kenshin?" He sighed, then grinned. "Ah, well, I guess when you were the legendary Hitokiri Battousai even the people in China hear about you. What's up, do you wanna fight Kenshin or somethin? I don't wanna get your hopes down, but I'd put my money on my buddy."
Yuji's mouth twitched. "Oh, no. Well, I might want to challenge him for a good fight, but I wanted his permission for something. Don't ask," he said, holding up his hand as Sanosuke opened his mouth. "All will be revealed if you take me to the Rurouni, Himura Kenshin." And with that, he popped onto Sanosuke's head again.
Sanosuke was defeated. "Hey, you!" he called, "You'd better get off my head if you want yours to stay attached to your body!!" He sighed. "Kuso. I suppose I won't be able to move you, so sit on my shoulder or something. I'm freaked out as it is wonderin if you're gonna fart and knock me fuckin unconscious!!"
Yuji smiled and complied.
* * *
"Ken-nichan!! Ken-nichan, Sanosuke is coming!!" Ayame and Suzume ran into the yard and yelled it again and again into the smiling Rurouni's ears.
"Ah, good!" said Kenshin, "I'll go and meet him right after I finish this laundry! Thank you so much, Ayame and Suzume!" He reached out and patted them each on the head.
"That damn Sanosuke!! I'll bet he's here to grub me for money again!! Well, he won't be getting anything here!" Kaoru walked over to Kenshin, her arms crossed. "He blasted a hole through my dojo wall last week! That oaf!"
Kenshin laughed. "Ah, but Kaoru-dono, you know that he only thought Yahiko was a burglar…" He snorted as he remembered the look on Yahiko's face.
Suddenly Kenshin stopped smiling and frowned. Kaoru noticed and peered at him curiously.
"Kenshin, what is it? Kenshin?"
Kenshin looked up at her seriously. "It's probably nothing, but I sense someone very powerful coming with Sano."
Kaoru patted him on the shoulder. "Kenshin, nobody can be stronger than you!"
Kenshin smiled at her. "Kaoru-dono, don't say that. Anyway, let's head over to the main gate to greet them!" He hung up the last piece of laundry, stopped to shoulder Kaoru's adoring sisters, and walked with Kaoru towards the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu dojo entrance.
* * *
"Oro…" Kenshin looked closer, and a sweat drop formed on his head.
Kaoru looked at him, and then followed his gaze toward Sanosuke's figure slowly walking up the hill toward them. She paused, took another look at him, and laughed out loud at the ridiculous sight. "Sanosuke's got someone sitting on his shoulder!! Did he get a girlfriend?!" Kaoru gasped, horrified at the implications of what Sanosuke's girlfriend would be like. She would either have to have infinite patience or…or be just like Sanosuke!! brooded Kaoru. She shuddered, picturing a female Sanosuke, but quickly adjusted her attitude. Stop it, Kaoru, she scolded herself. I'm sure that Sanosuke's girlfriend is a perfectly lovely young woman!
Sanosuke was almost to the gate when he called out, "Hey, Kenshin! I got one big surprise for ya!" Yuji looked up at the sound of Kenshin's name. He quickly recognized the ex-Hitokiri. Sanosuke reached the entrance to his friend's home and inclined his head. He eyed Yuji, still perched on his shoulder. "Oi, rascal, get off and pay your respects to the legendary Hitokiri before I smash you into this wall." Yuji smiled at the empty threat and hopped off of the annoyed fist-fighter's shoulder. He landed gracefully at a crouch in front of Kenshin and kneeled.
"Himura Kenshin, formerly the Hitokiri Battousai, I am unbelievably honored to have your acquaintance and request your permission to become your student."
* * *
"I've heard of you," Yuji said softly. He then quickly kicked his left foot off the ground and blasted upward into the air, landing deftly on the tip of a bamboo tree. "Na-nanda?! What the hell are ya doin??" Sanosuke stuttered. Yuji jumped from the bamboo and laughed merrily…
Then he landed on Sanosuke's head softly, with so little weight on impact that the tall man didn't even realize that he was there until a few seconds later.
"WHAT THE HELL?!?! GET OFF MY HEAD, YOU YARO!!!!"
Yuji smiled. "You have a very strong head," he commented. "My apologies for being so rude. I was testing your reflexes, just to be sure that you were really Sagara Sanosuke, as you say," he explained, putting on hand behind his head. He promptly fell off of Sanosuke's head and did a few flips on the ground, skidding to a stop a few meters away from the wary fighter. Yuji bowed low. "I am very honored to meet you. I have traveled here from China to request something from you. Your reputation precedes you," he complimented.
Sanosuke, just a little bit overwhelmed by this whole crazy event, started at Yuji's words. He looked at the strange fighter head to toe. Yuji wore leather gloves cut off at the knuckles, laced sandles and socks, a blue ninja's outfit which covered his entire face, excepting the eyes, and a midnight blue cloak which nearly enveloped his entire body. Yuji's bare arms were muscular, but not bulky. He handled the bamboo pole with great confidence, obviously skilled in the art of pole fighting. Sanosuke considered the ninja. Well, he DID only attack that gangster guy, and he SEEMS to be nice enough, he consented.
"Whaddaya want from me?" Sanosuke demanded.
Yuji's eyes lit up. "Take me to Himura Kenshin," he said.
* * *
Sanosuke's eyes went wide. "How do you know about Kenshin?" He sighed, then grinned. "Ah, well, I guess when you were the legendary Hitokiri Battousai even the people in China hear about you. What's up, do you wanna fight Kenshin or somethin? I don't wanna get your hopes down, but I'd put my money on my buddy."
Yuji's mouth twitched. "Oh, no. Well, I might want to challenge him for a good fight, but I wanted his permission for something. Don't ask," he said, holding up his hand as Sanosuke opened his mouth. "All will be revealed if you take me to the Rurouni, Himura Kenshin." And with that, he popped onto Sanosuke's head again.
Sanosuke was defeated. "Hey, you!" he called, "You'd better get off my head if you want yours to stay attached to your body!!" He sighed. "Kuso. I suppose I won't be able to move you, so sit on my shoulder or something. I'm freaked out as it is wonderin if you're gonna fart and knock me fuckin unconscious!!"
Yuji smiled and complied.
* * *
"Ken-nichan!! Ken-nichan, Sanosuke is coming!!" Ayame and Suzume ran into the yard and yelled it again and again into the smiling Rurouni's ears.
"Ah, good!" said Kenshin, "I'll go and meet him right after I finish this laundry! Thank you so much, Ayame and Suzume!" He reached out and patted them each on the head.
"That damn Sanosuke!! I'll bet he's here to grub me for money again!! Well, he won't be getting anything here!" Kaoru walked over to Kenshin, her arms crossed. "He blasted a hole through my dojo wall last week! That oaf!"
Kenshin laughed. "Ah, but Kaoru-dono, you know that he only thought Yahiko was a burglar…" He snorted as he remembered the look on Yahiko's face.
Suddenly Kenshin stopped smiling and frowned. Kaoru noticed and peered at him curiously.
"Kenshin, what is it? Kenshin?"
Kenshin looked up at her seriously. "It's probably nothing, but I sense someone very powerful coming with Sano."
Kaoru patted him on the shoulder. "Kenshin, nobody can be stronger than you!"
Kenshin smiled at her. "Kaoru-dono, don't say that. Anyway, let's head over to the main gate to greet them!" He hung up the last piece of laundry, stopped to shoulder Kaoru's adoring sisters, and walked with Kaoru towards the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu dojo entrance.
* * *
"Oro…" Kenshin looked closer, and a sweat drop formed on his head.
Kaoru looked at him, and then followed his gaze toward Sanosuke's figure slowly walking up the hill toward them. She paused, took another look at him, and laughed out loud at the ridiculous sight. "Sanosuke's got someone sitting on his shoulder!! Did he get a girlfriend?!" Kaoru gasped, horrified at the implications of what Sanosuke's girlfriend would be like. She would either have to have infinite patience or…or be just like Sanosuke!! brooded Kaoru. She shuddered, picturing a female Sanosuke, but quickly adjusted her attitude. Stop it, Kaoru, she scolded herself. I'm sure that Sanosuke's girlfriend is a perfectly lovely young woman!
Sanosuke was almost to the gate when he called out, "Hey, Kenshin! I got one big surprise for ya!" Yuji looked up at the sound of Kenshin's name. He quickly recognized the ex-Hitokiri. Sanosuke reached the entrance to his friend's home and inclined his head. He eyed Yuji, still perched on his shoulder. "Oi, rascal, get off and pay your respects to the legendary Hitokiri before I smash you into this wall." Yuji smiled at the empty threat and hopped off of the annoyed fist-fighter's shoulder. He landed gracefully at a crouch in front of Kenshin and kneeled.
"Himura Kenshin, formerly the Hitokiri Battousai, I am unbelievably honored to have your acquaintance and request your permission to become your student."
* * *