What's Wrong With Tournaments?
Sanosuke didn't show up at all the next day. Kaoru waited all morning for him to come train Yahiko, then all afternoon for him to show up for dinner. But he didn't come.
"You know he's fine, Kaoru," Yahiko told her as the sun started to set. "There's no one in Tokyo capable of beating up Sano now that Ke- now that all the revolutionary warriors have left."
"That's not why I'm worried," Kaoru sighed.
"Then what are you worried about? That he's not going to show for the tournament tomorrow?"
"I'm worried that I hurt him."
"With a few pieces of a broken bowl? Those slivers went into his palm, not his throat. Give Sanosuke some credit for stamina. He deserves a little, I think." Yahiko tried to make a joke.
"Not that kind of hurt," Kaoru said, frustrated.
"You think you hurt his feeling?" Yahiko asked incredulously. "Kaoru, please! Sanosuke's a grown man! He doesn't cry over every insult anymore than he cries over a few shallow cuts on his palm! You're incapable of hurting his feelings. Why would he care what an ugly like you does in a fit of rage?"
Kaoru scowled at Yahiko. "Isn't it past your bed time?"
"It's not even dark yet," Yahiko glared at her.
"The sun sets late these days and we have a tournament to go to tomorrow- if Sanosuke shows, that is. We should turn in early."
"You're probably right, even if you are ugly."
"I'm not ugly!" Kaoru snapped.
"You are. But you know Sanosuke will be there, don't you? He's not going to let us down."
"I'd feel better if it were Kenshin entering the tournament with us instead of Sanosuke," Kaoru muttered, not intending for Yahiko to hear.
Unfortunately Yahiko did head. "Well excuse HIM for not being short, red headed, twenty-eight, and on his way to Kyoto! He's been treating you the best he knows how, even if you don't think he's as reliable as Kenshin was!"
"I didn't mean Sanosuke's not reliable!" Kaoru shouted back at her student.
"Then what did you mean? That you wish that he was Kenshin?"
"I don't want Sanosuke to be Kenshin! I just wish that Kenshin was here! Here with us instead of wandering off to kill psychotic murderers for the government and risking becoming Battosai the Manslayer again!"
"Then say what you mean!" Yahiko screamed. "Because even if you're incapable of hurting Sanosuke's feelings, don't think that he doesn't care what you say about him or do to him!"
"I know he cares about what I say and do!"
"Then why are you always saying stupid stuff that pisses him off?!"
"I don't mean to!" Kaoru stormed off the porch and into the draining room snatching the closes practice sword off the wall and swinging it in a strike meant to break someone's collar bone. "I don't mean to make him mad!" She executed a disarming move and spun so that her next strike wouldn't damage the wall. "I didn't mean to get so mad at him yesterday!" Kaoru struck at her imaginary opponent's knees, then thrust her sword at where his stomach would be. "Ever since Kenshin left, Sanosuke has been there to help me!" Side strike followed up by another collar bone crush. "So why, why, why is everything so messed up between us?!" Kaoru finished with an overhead strike hard enough to shatter someone's skull. "WHY?!"
There was no one around to give Kaoru an answer. Disgusted, she replaced her sword on the wall and went to get ready for bed.
Sanosuke still hadn't shown by the next morning. Kaoru made enough breakfast for three, though she didn't cook any of it herself. Rather than risk giving herself, her apprentice, and her friend food poisoning on the day of the tournament, Kaoru peeled and cut some vegetables and served cold tofu she had sent Yahiko to buy from the market the day before.
"The one day we have a decent breakfast, Sanosuke doesn't show," Yahiko commented around a mouthful of cabbage. Seeing the look that crossed Kaoru's face he said, "Don't worry, Kaoru. He'll probably meet us at the tournament. You know he won't let us down."
"Maybe he doesn't care if he lets me down or not anymore," Kaoru said softly.
"Of course he still cares you stupid ugly," Yahiko snapped. "He didn't go to Kyoto because he chose to take care of you. Even though you're much better, he's still sticking around to take care of you. He's going to be at the tournament to compete with us because he still wants to help YOU!" He finished his tofu and stood up. "We should get going. We don't want to be the last school there!"
"You're right," Kaoru stood up as well, "Go get your kendo stick, and choose an extra one to take as well- just in case."
Yahiko scrambled to obey as Kaoru went to change into her training clothes and get her own wooden swords.
Sanosuke was not at the tournament when Kaoru and Yahiko got there. "He'll be here any minute," Yahiko insisted, as they waited by the registration stand.
"I know," Kaoru tried to sound convinced. "We're here very early after all, and Sanosuke is often late."
An hour passed and there was still no sign of Sanosuke.
"Last call for registrations!" the man at the stand was calling. "Any more martial arts schools that want to enter must do so now!"
"Where is he?!" Yahiko growled.
"He's not coming," Kaoru sighed. "We might as well go home."
"No!" Yahiko grabbed Kaoru's wrist and tried to drag her to the registration stand. "We've trained too hard to just stop now! We've got to enter!"
"But we don't have enough people!" Kaoru hissed. They were in front of the stand now.
"Maybe they'll make an exception!"
"Last call for registrations!"
"Here," Kaoru summoned as much courage as she could and stepped up to the stand. "I'm Kaoru Kamiya, Assistant Master of the Kamiya Dojo, competing with my student Yahiko Miyojin."
The man at the stand scowled; because of a woman assistant master or because she had not stated the name of their third competitor. "A school is required to produce three competitors to enter into this tournament, Miss. Where is your third student."
"He's not here right now," Kaoru said, feeling stupid. "But he'll be here."
"All competitors need to be with their school at the time of registration. Unless your third student is with you, you cannot compete," the man's nose was tilted so high in the air that Kaoru hoped he got a nosebleed. "And since you have no third student-"
"I'm right here," a familiar voice said from behind Kaoru.
"Sanosuke!" Kaoru turned quickly.
"Sano! What took you so long?!" Yahiko demanded.
"I was delayed," Sanosuke said simply. "But I'm here now. So register the Kamiya Dojo for the tournament. Now." Sanosuke spoke to the man inside the stand.
The man scowled. "I'm sorry, but the deadline for registration-"
"Has not passed yet," Sanosuke cracked his knuckles and gave the registration man a smile that promised violence. "And I believe you require my name to register us. It's Sanosuke Sagara, better known as Zanza."
The man's eyes widened. "Zanza?" he squeaked. "Uh, yes. And the name of your school again?"
"The Kamiya Dojo," Kaoru said quickly.
"The Kamiya Dojo," the man repeated, rapidly writing something. He handed Kaoru a piece of paper. "All three of you and your school are registered, Ma'am. Good luck."
"Thank you," Kaoru said politely.
Sanosuke sneered, "Now you see how it is."
They began to walk into the square where the tournament was being held. As soon as they were far enough away from the registration stand, Kaoru grabbed Sanosuke by the front of his jacket and shoved him into a conveniently placed lightpost. "Where have you been?! We thought you weren't going to show!"
Sanosuke scowled down at her. "I don't need to explain myself to you, Missy."
Kaoru glared up at him. "Fine! Don't tell me! I don't care!" She turned away.
"Forget about it for now! They're getting ready to start!" Yahiko grabbed Kaoru and started dragging her through the crowd.
"What's your hurry? They always start with the little kids kata competition- open handed which you're not doing," Sanosuke followed them.
"I'm not a little kid!" Yahiko protested.
"Then they do the youth kata competition, then adults, then they do the weapons forms competitions in the exact same order. Only then does it start getting fun," Sanosuke grinned. "Sparring is next- open hand, age divisions in the same order, then weapons sparring."
Kaoru stopped and Sanosuke almost ran into her. "You didn't teach Yahiko any open hand forms?" she demanded.
"No. Why?"
"Forms are the basis of martial arts!" Kaoru snapped. "They represent your martial arts' background and teach you to attack and block in succession!"
"So does sparring," Sanosuke looked down at Kaoru, confused.
"It's not the same!" Kaoru exploded. "If I had known you weren't teaching my apprentice any open hand forms I would have stepped in and-"
"I take it you like forms," Sanosuke commented as though he hadn't caught on until now.
"They are the basis of martial arts-"
"Forms aren't the basis of martial arts," Sanosuke argued. "Teachers are the basis of martial arts. If you have a good teacher you don't need to learn forms."
"Of course you do! They develop your reflexes so you learn to throw multiple attacks instead of throwing everything behind one punch or kick-"
"There are other ways to develop those reflexes you know," Sanosuke told her.
"But forms are the right way-"
"There is no ONE right way!" Sanosuke snapped.
"There is!"
"There is not!"
"Is!"
"Is not!"
"IS!"
"IS NOT!"
"IS!!!"
"There's not and you know it," Sanosuke lowered his voice and shot a glare at the people who had started watching them. "You know what I think?"
"I don't care what you think!" Kaoru spat.
"I think that you just like forms because when you execute a form there's only one way to do it. Every movement that you make is planned out ahead of time and if you practice a kata enough, you don't even have to think about what you're doing. You dislike actually having to plan what you're going to do for yourself and think about the consequences or what you're going to do next. It's much easier just to do what people have always done or what people tell you to do instead of thinking for yourself," Sanosuke drawled.
"That's not true!" Kaoru protested.
"Isn't it?"
"No!" Kaoru screamed, taking a swing at Sanosuke's chest. "Shut up! What do you know about anything?!"
"They're inlaws," Yahiko was explaining to the people in the crowd. "He married her sister and they don't get along. . ."
Kaoru shot Yahiko an incredulous look.
"If you think they're bad you should see her fight with his mother."
People shook their heads and moved on, knowing all too well what a pain inlaws could be. Kaoru turned back to Sanosuke ready to shout at him again or hit him, but saw that he wasn't looking at her anymore. He was looking at Yahiko, a sick look on his face. She started to ask Sanosuke if something was wrong but remembered in time that she was mad at him.
"Whatever you say, woman," Sanosuke said suddenly, turning away from her.
"Sanosuke. . ." his name was out of her mouth before Kaoru knew she had spoken.
"Don't worry, I'm not bailing out on you," Sanosuke didn't turn to look at Kaoru again.
"Where are you going?" Yahiko asked.
"Not far," was the only answer he got.
Yahiko looked at Kaoru and shrugged. "Are you doing a kata?"
"As a matter of fact I am," Kaoru drew herself up so she stood tall. She was proud that she was competing in the kata division and wasn't going to let anyone think otherwise.
Sanosuke didn't watch the youngest division's kata competition. Yahiko wasn't competing in it so there wasn't any point. If he had taught Yahiko a kata he knew that Yahiko would win, though. But Sanosuke's teacher had not believed in teaching forms, so as a result neither did Sanosuke.
He did make a point to watch Kaoru compete though, and had to admit that he was impressed. Her kata was an advanced one, but a common one. Kaoru made it look good though, in a way that none of the other competitors were able to. Her movements were strong and sharp, and her natural grace gave her an edge over her opponents. Most people, in Sanosuke's opinion, looked like jointed scare crows when they did their kata. Kaoru looked more like a dancer.
As much as Sanosuke would have liked to have gone up to Kaoru and congratulated her on an excellent performance, he refrained. He had the feeling that Kaoru was still mad at him for being late, and didn't feel like fighting with her at the moment- he'd been fighting a battle with himself all morning. The only type of fight Sanosuke wanted at that moment was one with fists, fought until someone was knocked out. In fact, he wanted nothing more than to get into an exhilarating fight that would require all his strength, speed, and stamina, so that for a minute, or five minutes, or even half a damn minute, he could forget the issue weighing down heavily on his heart.
He had a long wait.
Yahiko and Kaoru both did forms with their swords in the next division, both taking first places, just as Kaoru had taken first in her kata division. Then lucky Yahiko got to spar. His opponents were all wash outs and wusses who fell under the devastating punches that Sanosuke had taught the kid. If Yahiko hadn't beaten every single one of them, Sanosuke would have been very dissappointed in him. But Yahiko did Sanosuke and the Kamiya Dojo proud, taking the first place medal for his division.
Kaoru sparred next. She did well, dodging blows and blocking kicks, waiting until the exact right moment to strike. She took her time fighting, but managed to knock out quite a few men who were more than twice her size, everyone she faced who was her size or smaller, and the only other woman in her division. Sanosuke kept a close watch on Kaoru during her fights, partly because he was interested in how she did and partly to make sure that none of them pulled any cheap shit. He needn't have worried, though. Kaoru's opponents were close to her own age and most of them were too stupid or too full of childish ideals to think of any cheap stunts to pull. There was one large boy who Sanosuke thought was probably too old to compete in Kaoru's divion, who tried to hide a dagger in the front folds of his robe before going against Kaoru. Sanosuke used the pick pocketing skills he had learned from Yahiko to relieve the brat of it.
Finally it was Sanosuke's turn.
Sanosuke's first opponent was a pushover. One flat palmed shove from Sanosuke put the man down and kept him down. Thoroughly disappointed, Sanosuke had to wait for his next fight- which turned out to be a sumo wrestler who did a lot of shouting and a lot of stomping and was done away with when Sanosuke flicked him in the forehead. It was beginning to look to Sanosuke like this tournament wasn't going to be nearly as much fun as he'd thought it would be.
Then he noticed a tough guy on the other side of the bracket- one who didn't do away with his opponents as quickly as Sanosuke did, but wasn't fazed by them either. The guy toyed with his adversaries like he was a cat and they were his toys, not even worthy to be compared to mice. In the middle of his second fight, the tough guy looked up and saw Sanosuke's eyes on him. The tough guy smiled, was punched directly in the face, then grabbed the poor man fighting him by the neck and squeazed his throat until the poor man passed out. The tough guy show Sanosuke a nasty smile then walked out of the ring and toward him. "You like that?" the man asked, his voice no more pleasant than his smile.
"Not especially. You're not only wasting your time toying with those weaklings. You're wasting mine as well," Sanosuke answered, giving the tough guy a disdainful look.
"It's more fun if they think they have a chance," Tough Guy sneered. "You put yours out of their misery too quick and reveal your true strength to all your other opponents."
"It gives them a chance to drop out so we can get this finished faster," Sanosuke replied without missing a beat.
"It makes tournaments boring."
"What's wrong with tournaments is people who play with boring people and drag every match out like bad actors," Sanosuke crossed his arms.
"I say that what's wrong with tournaments is cocky bastards who run off their mouths," Tough Guy snarled.
"Hmph. You'd know," Sanosuke answered promptly.
"I am Isaka Tsumara," Tough Guy introduced himself. "The first leader of the Shinsengumi Squad One. Because I did not follow orders correctly, I was replaced by a young diseased fool who rotted from the inside out. I was his superior."
Sanosuke looked at Isaka calmly. "What are you sparring for then? If you really were a member of the Shinsengumi then your forte is supposed to be swordsmanship."
"I have nothing to worry about in the sparring division. There's no one here who can knock me out."
"Except me," Sanosuke growled.
"Obviously you've never faced a Shinsengumi Squad Leader before, little boy," Isaka drawled.
Sanosuke touched the shoulder that Saito had injured about a month before unconsiously. "Obviously," he muttered, the irony of it lost on Isaka. "Tell me, were you better or worse than the leader of squad three?"
"Better," Isaka snapped. "Seito was a coward and a fool."
Seito?
"I just thought he was annoying," Sanosuke said casually. "Saito never struck me as a coward. You have no room to call him a fool if you can't even remember his name."
"His name was Seito," Isaka insisted.
"And I'm a cat."
"Sorry, but I'm going to have to rain on your parade, Cat-Boy," Isaka sneered.
Sanosuke heard someone summoning him to fight again. "Whatever," he said to Isaka as he started to walk away. "I'll see you in the finals- if you make it that far."
Sanosuke had no more trouble dispatching his newest opponent than he had his last. He was careful not to show off any of his moves, but Isaka held no such reservations. By the time that Sanosuke and Isaka had made it to the finals Sanosuke had a good idea of what Isaka's fighting style was like.
Sanosuke didn't show up at all the next day. Kaoru waited all morning for him to come train Yahiko, then all afternoon for him to show up for dinner. But he didn't come.
"You know he's fine, Kaoru," Yahiko told her as the sun started to set. "There's no one in Tokyo capable of beating up Sano now that Ke- now that all the revolutionary warriors have left."
"That's not why I'm worried," Kaoru sighed.
"Then what are you worried about? That he's not going to show for the tournament tomorrow?"
"I'm worried that I hurt him."
"With a few pieces of a broken bowl? Those slivers went into his palm, not his throat. Give Sanosuke some credit for stamina. He deserves a little, I think." Yahiko tried to make a joke.
"Not that kind of hurt," Kaoru said, frustrated.
"You think you hurt his feeling?" Yahiko asked incredulously. "Kaoru, please! Sanosuke's a grown man! He doesn't cry over every insult anymore than he cries over a few shallow cuts on his palm! You're incapable of hurting his feelings. Why would he care what an ugly like you does in a fit of rage?"
Kaoru scowled at Yahiko. "Isn't it past your bed time?"
"It's not even dark yet," Yahiko glared at her.
"The sun sets late these days and we have a tournament to go to tomorrow- if Sanosuke shows, that is. We should turn in early."
"You're probably right, even if you are ugly."
"I'm not ugly!" Kaoru snapped.
"You are. But you know Sanosuke will be there, don't you? He's not going to let us down."
"I'd feel better if it were Kenshin entering the tournament with us instead of Sanosuke," Kaoru muttered, not intending for Yahiko to hear.
Unfortunately Yahiko did head. "Well excuse HIM for not being short, red headed, twenty-eight, and on his way to Kyoto! He's been treating you the best he knows how, even if you don't think he's as reliable as Kenshin was!"
"I didn't mean Sanosuke's not reliable!" Kaoru shouted back at her student.
"Then what did you mean? That you wish that he was Kenshin?"
"I don't want Sanosuke to be Kenshin! I just wish that Kenshin was here! Here with us instead of wandering off to kill psychotic murderers for the government and risking becoming Battosai the Manslayer again!"
"Then say what you mean!" Yahiko screamed. "Because even if you're incapable of hurting Sanosuke's feelings, don't think that he doesn't care what you say about him or do to him!"
"I know he cares about what I say and do!"
"Then why are you always saying stupid stuff that pisses him off?!"
"I don't mean to!" Kaoru stormed off the porch and into the draining room snatching the closes practice sword off the wall and swinging it in a strike meant to break someone's collar bone. "I don't mean to make him mad!" She executed a disarming move and spun so that her next strike wouldn't damage the wall. "I didn't mean to get so mad at him yesterday!" Kaoru struck at her imaginary opponent's knees, then thrust her sword at where his stomach would be. "Ever since Kenshin left, Sanosuke has been there to help me!" Side strike followed up by another collar bone crush. "So why, why, why is everything so messed up between us?!" Kaoru finished with an overhead strike hard enough to shatter someone's skull. "WHY?!"
There was no one around to give Kaoru an answer. Disgusted, she replaced her sword on the wall and went to get ready for bed.
Sanosuke still hadn't shown by the next morning. Kaoru made enough breakfast for three, though she didn't cook any of it herself. Rather than risk giving herself, her apprentice, and her friend food poisoning on the day of the tournament, Kaoru peeled and cut some vegetables and served cold tofu she had sent Yahiko to buy from the market the day before.
"The one day we have a decent breakfast, Sanosuke doesn't show," Yahiko commented around a mouthful of cabbage. Seeing the look that crossed Kaoru's face he said, "Don't worry, Kaoru. He'll probably meet us at the tournament. You know he won't let us down."
"Maybe he doesn't care if he lets me down or not anymore," Kaoru said softly.
"Of course he still cares you stupid ugly," Yahiko snapped. "He didn't go to Kyoto because he chose to take care of you. Even though you're much better, he's still sticking around to take care of you. He's going to be at the tournament to compete with us because he still wants to help YOU!" He finished his tofu and stood up. "We should get going. We don't want to be the last school there!"
"You're right," Kaoru stood up as well, "Go get your kendo stick, and choose an extra one to take as well- just in case."
Yahiko scrambled to obey as Kaoru went to change into her training clothes and get her own wooden swords.
Sanosuke was not at the tournament when Kaoru and Yahiko got there. "He'll be here any minute," Yahiko insisted, as they waited by the registration stand.
"I know," Kaoru tried to sound convinced. "We're here very early after all, and Sanosuke is often late."
An hour passed and there was still no sign of Sanosuke.
"Last call for registrations!" the man at the stand was calling. "Any more martial arts schools that want to enter must do so now!"
"Where is he?!" Yahiko growled.
"He's not coming," Kaoru sighed. "We might as well go home."
"No!" Yahiko grabbed Kaoru's wrist and tried to drag her to the registration stand. "We've trained too hard to just stop now! We've got to enter!"
"But we don't have enough people!" Kaoru hissed. They were in front of the stand now.
"Maybe they'll make an exception!"
"Last call for registrations!"
"Here," Kaoru summoned as much courage as she could and stepped up to the stand. "I'm Kaoru Kamiya, Assistant Master of the Kamiya Dojo, competing with my student Yahiko Miyojin."
The man at the stand scowled; because of a woman assistant master or because she had not stated the name of their third competitor. "A school is required to produce three competitors to enter into this tournament, Miss. Where is your third student."
"He's not here right now," Kaoru said, feeling stupid. "But he'll be here."
"All competitors need to be with their school at the time of registration. Unless your third student is with you, you cannot compete," the man's nose was tilted so high in the air that Kaoru hoped he got a nosebleed. "And since you have no third student-"
"I'm right here," a familiar voice said from behind Kaoru.
"Sanosuke!" Kaoru turned quickly.
"Sano! What took you so long?!" Yahiko demanded.
"I was delayed," Sanosuke said simply. "But I'm here now. So register the Kamiya Dojo for the tournament. Now." Sanosuke spoke to the man inside the stand.
The man scowled. "I'm sorry, but the deadline for registration-"
"Has not passed yet," Sanosuke cracked his knuckles and gave the registration man a smile that promised violence. "And I believe you require my name to register us. It's Sanosuke Sagara, better known as Zanza."
The man's eyes widened. "Zanza?" he squeaked. "Uh, yes. And the name of your school again?"
"The Kamiya Dojo," Kaoru said quickly.
"The Kamiya Dojo," the man repeated, rapidly writing something. He handed Kaoru a piece of paper. "All three of you and your school are registered, Ma'am. Good luck."
"Thank you," Kaoru said politely.
Sanosuke sneered, "Now you see how it is."
They began to walk into the square where the tournament was being held. As soon as they were far enough away from the registration stand, Kaoru grabbed Sanosuke by the front of his jacket and shoved him into a conveniently placed lightpost. "Where have you been?! We thought you weren't going to show!"
Sanosuke scowled down at her. "I don't need to explain myself to you, Missy."
Kaoru glared up at him. "Fine! Don't tell me! I don't care!" She turned away.
"Forget about it for now! They're getting ready to start!" Yahiko grabbed Kaoru and started dragging her through the crowd.
"What's your hurry? They always start with the little kids kata competition- open handed which you're not doing," Sanosuke followed them.
"I'm not a little kid!" Yahiko protested.
"Then they do the youth kata competition, then adults, then they do the weapons forms competitions in the exact same order. Only then does it start getting fun," Sanosuke grinned. "Sparring is next- open hand, age divisions in the same order, then weapons sparring."
Kaoru stopped and Sanosuke almost ran into her. "You didn't teach Yahiko any open hand forms?" she demanded.
"No. Why?"
"Forms are the basis of martial arts!" Kaoru snapped. "They represent your martial arts' background and teach you to attack and block in succession!"
"So does sparring," Sanosuke looked down at Kaoru, confused.
"It's not the same!" Kaoru exploded. "If I had known you weren't teaching my apprentice any open hand forms I would have stepped in and-"
"I take it you like forms," Sanosuke commented as though he hadn't caught on until now.
"They are the basis of martial arts-"
"Forms aren't the basis of martial arts," Sanosuke argued. "Teachers are the basis of martial arts. If you have a good teacher you don't need to learn forms."
"Of course you do! They develop your reflexes so you learn to throw multiple attacks instead of throwing everything behind one punch or kick-"
"There are other ways to develop those reflexes you know," Sanosuke told her.
"But forms are the right way-"
"There is no ONE right way!" Sanosuke snapped.
"There is!"
"There is not!"
"Is!"
"Is not!"
"IS!"
"IS NOT!"
"IS!!!"
"There's not and you know it," Sanosuke lowered his voice and shot a glare at the people who had started watching them. "You know what I think?"
"I don't care what you think!" Kaoru spat.
"I think that you just like forms because when you execute a form there's only one way to do it. Every movement that you make is planned out ahead of time and if you practice a kata enough, you don't even have to think about what you're doing. You dislike actually having to plan what you're going to do for yourself and think about the consequences or what you're going to do next. It's much easier just to do what people have always done or what people tell you to do instead of thinking for yourself," Sanosuke drawled.
"That's not true!" Kaoru protested.
"Isn't it?"
"No!" Kaoru screamed, taking a swing at Sanosuke's chest. "Shut up! What do you know about anything?!"
"They're inlaws," Yahiko was explaining to the people in the crowd. "He married her sister and they don't get along. . ."
Kaoru shot Yahiko an incredulous look.
"If you think they're bad you should see her fight with his mother."
People shook their heads and moved on, knowing all too well what a pain inlaws could be. Kaoru turned back to Sanosuke ready to shout at him again or hit him, but saw that he wasn't looking at her anymore. He was looking at Yahiko, a sick look on his face. She started to ask Sanosuke if something was wrong but remembered in time that she was mad at him.
"Whatever you say, woman," Sanosuke said suddenly, turning away from her.
"Sanosuke. . ." his name was out of her mouth before Kaoru knew she had spoken.
"Don't worry, I'm not bailing out on you," Sanosuke didn't turn to look at Kaoru again.
"Where are you going?" Yahiko asked.
"Not far," was the only answer he got.
Yahiko looked at Kaoru and shrugged. "Are you doing a kata?"
"As a matter of fact I am," Kaoru drew herself up so she stood tall. She was proud that she was competing in the kata division and wasn't going to let anyone think otherwise.
Sanosuke didn't watch the youngest division's kata competition. Yahiko wasn't competing in it so there wasn't any point. If he had taught Yahiko a kata he knew that Yahiko would win, though. But Sanosuke's teacher had not believed in teaching forms, so as a result neither did Sanosuke.
He did make a point to watch Kaoru compete though, and had to admit that he was impressed. Her kata was an advanced one, but a common one. Kaoru made it look good though, in a way that none of the other competitors were able to. Her movements were strong and sharp, and her natural grace gave her an edge over her opponents. Most people, in Sanosuke's opinion, looked like jointed scare crows when they did their kata. Kaoru looked more like a dancer.
As much as Sanosuke would have liked to have gone up to Kaoru and congratulated her on an excellent performance, he refrained. He had the feeling that Kaoru was still mad at him for being late, and didn't feel like fighting with her at the moment- he'd been fighting a battle with himself all morning. The only type of fight Sanosuke wanted at that moment was one with fists, fought until someone was knocked out. In fact, he wanted nothing more than to get into an exhilarating fight that would require all his strength, speed, and stamina, so that for a minute, or five minutes, or even half a damn minute, he could forget the issue weighing down heavily on his heart.
He had a long wait.
Yahiko and Kaoru both did forms with their swords in the next division, both taking first places, just as Kaoru had taken first in her kata division. Then lucky Yahiko got to spar. His opponents were all wash outs and wusses who fell under the devastating punches that Sanosuke had taught the kid. If Yahiko hadn't beaten every single one of them, Sanosuke would have been very dissappointed in him. But Yahiko did Sanosuke and the Kamiya Dojo proud, taking the first place medal for his division.
Kaoru sparred next. She did well, dodging blows and blocking kicks, waiting until the exact right moment to strike. She took her time fighting, but managed to knock out quite a few men who were more than twice her size, everyone she faced who was her size or smaller, and the only other woman in her division. Sanosuke kept a close watch on Kaoru during her fights, partly because he was interested in how she did and partly to make sure that none of them pulled any cheap shit. He needn't have worried, though. Kaoru's opponents were close to her own age and most of them were too stupid or too full of childish ideals to think of any cheap stunts to pull. There was one large boy who Sanosuke thought was probably too old to compete in Kaoru's divion, who tried to hide a dagger in the front folds of his robe before going against Kaoru. Sanosuke used the pick pocketing skills he had learned from Yahiko to relieve the brat of it.
Finally it was Sanosuke's turn.
Sanosuke's first opponent was a pushover. One flat palmed shove from Sanosuke put the man down and kept him down. Thoroughly disappointed, Sanosuke had to wait for his next fight- which turned out to be a sumo wrestler who did a lot of shouting and a lot of stomping and was done away with when Sanosuke flicked him in the forehead. It was beginning to look to Sanosuke like this tournament wasn't going to be nearly as much fun as he'd thought it would be.
Then he noticed a tough guy on the other side of the bracket- one who didn't do away with his opponents as quickly as Sanosuke did, but wasn't fazed by them either. The guy toyed with his adversaries like he was a cat and they were his toys, not even worthy to be compared to mice. In the middle of his second fight, the tough guy looked up and saw Sanosuke's eyes on him. The tough guy smiled, was punched directly in the face, then grabbed the poor man fighting him by the neck and squeazed his throat until the poor man passed out. The tough guy show Sanosuke a nasty smile then walked out of the ring and toward him. "You like that?" the man asked, his voice no more pleasant than his smile.
"Not especially. You're not only wasting your time toying with those weaklings. You're wasting mine as well," Sanosuke answered, giving the tough guy a disdainful look.
"It's more fun if they think they have a chance," Tough Guy sneered. "You put yours out of their misery too quick and reveal your true strength to all your other opponents."
"It gives them a chance to drop out so we can get this finished faster," Sanosuke replied without missing a beat.
"It makes tournaments boring."
"What's wrong with tournaments is people who play with boring people and drag every match out like bad actors," Sanosuke crossed his arms.
"I say that what's wrong with tournaments is cocky bastards who run off their mouths," Tough Guy snarled.
"Hmph. You'd know," Sanosuke answered promptly.
"I am Isaka Tsumara," Tough Guy introduced himself. "The first leader of the Shinsengumi Squad One. Because I did not follow orders correctly, I was replaced by a young diseased fool who rotted from the inside out. I was his superior."
Sanosuke looked at Isaka calmly. "What are you sparring for then? If you really were a member of the Shinsengumi then your forte is supposed to be swordsmanship."
"I have nothing to worry about in the sparring division. There's no one here who can knock me out."
"Except me," Sanosuke growled.
"Obviously you've never faced a Shinsengumi Squad Leader before, little boy," Isaka drawled.
Sanosuke touched the shoulder that Saito had injured about a month before unconsiously. "Obviously," he muttered, the irony of it lost on Isaka. "Tell me, were you better or worse than the leader of squad three?"
"Better," Isaka snapped. "Seito was a coward and a fool."
Seito?
"I just thought he was annoying," Sanosuke said casually. "Saito never struck me as a coward. You have no room to call him a fool if you can't even remember his name."
"His name was Seito," Isaka insisted.
"And I'm a cat."
"Sorry, but I'm going to have to rain on your parade, Cat-Boy," Isaka sneered.
Sanosuke heard someone summoning him to fight again. "Whatever," he said to Isaka as he started to walk away. "I'll see you in the finals- if you make it that far."
Sanosuke had no more trouble dispatching his newest opponent than he had his last. He was careful not to show off any of his moves, but Isaka held no such reservations. By the time that Sanosuke and Isaka had made it to the finals Sanosuke had a good idea of what Isaka's fighting style was like.