A RIVAL FOR KENSHIN
Chapter V: Sano and Yahiko's Plan
The sun rose high up just like it does every morning, but this day was not as normal as it used to be at the Kamiya residence. Let's go take a peek and see what's happening there, shall we?!?
"It sure is cold out here," Sano said softly to Yahiko as they sat on the porch floor. "Sano, what are you talking about it's pretty warm…." Yahiko's voice faded as his eyes followed Sano's gaze. Kenshin and Kaoru walked towards each other, Kaoru holding a broom and Kenshin carrying a big load of laundry. Kenshin stopped a few feet from Koaru and waited for her. "Kaoru-dono…" Kenshin began. Kaoru stopped but she didn't look at him. Kenshin desperately searched for something to say to make things right again, but before he could come up with anything, Kaoru had already started walking towards the house.
"You're wrong Sano" Yahiko said, it's not cold out here, it's freezing!" The two men looked at each other thinking the same thought. "Kaoru and Kenshin are having a fight over last night!" "Alright buddy!" Sano whispered seriously. "I smell big trouble and an even bigger trouble if things stay as they are between those two." "Yeah right!" Yahiko whispered back. "I guess it's up to us to do something about it huh?" "My thoughts exactly! Okay, this is what we're going to do….." Both guys huddled and came up with…..Sorry guys but all we heard were just the whispers of the two conspirators.
$#POW&# !#$% KLUG*%$… "What the heck are you two doing just sitting there!? We happen to have a lot of work to do around here so get moving!" Kaoru yelled at Sano and Yahiko. "And stop pretending to be asleep I already know that ruse!" Sano, still dizzy from his encounter with Mr. Broom, turned his head in time to see Kaoru's feet stomping away. He turned the other way and saw Yahiko sprawled on the floor as he is, a silly expression on his face, with his eyes still swirling. "Good thing we finished the plan in time" Sano thought. "Now we have to work on it, and fast….for all our sake!" He looked at Yahiko again and said "Especially ours...."
Kaoru started sweeping the house angrily, but in a way she was glad too that there seem to be some things unchanged since yesterday morning. She sighed, Kenshin wanted to talk to her a moment ago. "What did he want to tell me? It seemed difficult for him to say whatever it is…A confession, perhaps?" Kaoru asked herself. "I know I have to face him, and it sooner or later, but for now I just have to keep it together." Kaoru looked out the window trying to control the tears that threatened to flow, but luckily, she saw Yujiro walking back. She took a deep breath and smiled. Kaoru was glad to have Yujiro here, he provided a good reason to forget this…thing with Kenshin.
Kenshin watched from afar as Kaoru rushed to greet Yujiro. The hurt he was feeling seemed to have grown since last night. Kaoru's smile used to be for him…Not bearing to see anymore of this, Kenshin decided to take a walk. Suddenly, his razor-sharp instinct told him to be cautious. Someone evil is out there. He went outside and saw three men standing in front of the house. "Hired assassins" Kenshin thought and walked calmly towards them. "Who are you and what do you want?" Kenshin asked. "Oh nothing" the tallest of the three answered. "Just making sure of something. Hey listen kid samurai, if you don't want to be toast for breakfast, best keep your nose where it belongs….Away from us!" Bwhahahahaha….the man laughed and his two companions laughed with him as they took their leave and walked away. Kenshin's eyes narrowed. "Who WERE those men and how are they connected to Yujiro?" Kenshin held his sword, "There's going to be trouble here" he thought.
Yujiro looked at Kaoru as they sat together on the dojo stairs and noticed something different about her. She's chirpy as a bird and she's smiling a lot too, but her eyes were a mirror of sadness. That thought of Koaru being sad gave Yujiro more headache than Dubley's pistol. And on the topic of Dubley's pistol, he recalled the events of last night. He woke up in the cave, tied, with the back of his head throbbing in pain. Barkley smiled again, this time of delight…in seeing him helpless and hurt. "Well, well, now that you're awake, let me tell you about our plan B" Barkley said and then told him the most diabolical plan he's ever heard.
"Over my dead body, Barkley!" Yujiro said, but Barkley merely laughed. "No, no, no, you little brat! Killing you would do me no good and besides I know you wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice your life for your friend. I wonder though if you would sacrifice her life instead, and your mother's too…hahahaha!!!" "You fiend!" Yujiro cried as he struggled, in vain, to be free. "You stay away from Kaoru and you stay away from my mother!!!" "You are in no position to give me orders!" Barkey barked. "You're in more of a position to obey…! Harharharharhar…"
Yujiro could still hear his laughter and his jaw tightened in anger. He had no choice but to agree with "the plan," especially when he saw the three assassins that Barkley hired to make sure he sticks to it. He had to warn Kaoru somehow and his mother too. But what would he tell them, he doesn't even know why Barkley wanted this dojo in the first place! "Darn it all!" Yujiro thought. "How could I have involved Kaoru in this mess!? How can I make sure she'd be alright!? Suddenly Yujiro's eyes caught Kaoru's red- haired friend enter the dojo looking very serious and holding the hilt of his sword. He felt it the first time he laid eyes on that Kenshin, and he felt it even more strongly now. That man is no ordinary samurai and he cares for Kaoru, maybe in ways that Yujiro would never understand. "That's it!" Yujiro thought…. "Perhaps….he might be able to help….perhaps…."
Kaoru looked at Yujiro. He was just smiling with her a moment ago, but now he seems lost in his own thought. There's something that's really bothering him and Kaoru wished she knew what it was. This goes deeper that just a misunderstanding between him and his mother, a lot deeper and probably more complicated. "Yu-chan," Kaoru said softly, snapping Yujiro from his thoughts. Yujiro smiled weakly at Kaoru, and Kaoru's heart went out to him. By pure instinct, Kaoru held his hand as she had done so many times, a long time ago.
Seeing Kaoru touch Yujiro's hand with Kenshin watching them and looking sour, Sano gave Yahiko a punch in the head. "You little coconut head! You were supposed to keep watch for Yujiro! How are we supposed to keep him away from the dojo and let those two lovebirds have their moment alone now!" "Cut it out you big buffoon, if I remember correctly, you were supposed to have the first watch!" "No way…you were!" "No, you!" "No, you!" "No, you!" "No, you!"……Eherrrm, Lets leave them alone now, before the punching starts okay.
**************************************************************
Back in the cave, Barkley sat at his table and for the nth time since he found the map in his grandfather's trunk he opened it again. He spread a newer map and compared the two. He laughed as he saw that the lines were identical, but his mouth watered as he saw the X mark on the old map. It landed directly on top of the Kamiya Dojo on the new one……
………….to be continued(c",)
Chapter V: Sano and Yahiko's Plan
The sun rose high up just like it does every morning, but this day was not as normal as it used to be at the Kamiya residence. Let's go take a peek and see what's happening there, shall we?!?
"It sure is cold out here," Sano said softly to Yahiko as they sat on the porch floor. "Sano, what are you talking about it's pretty warm…." Yahiko's voice faded as his eyes followed Sano's gaze. Kenshin and Kaoru walked towards each other, Kaoru holding a broom and Kenshin carrying a big load of laundry. Kenshin stopped a few feet from Koaru and waited for her. "Kaoru-dono…" Kenshin began. Kaoru stopped but she didn't look at him. Kenshin desperately searched for something to say to make things right again, but before he could come up with anything, Kaoru had already started walking towards the house.
"You're wrong Sano" Yahiko said, it's not cold out here, it's freezing!" The two men looked at each other thinking the same thought. "Kaoru and Kenshin are having a fight over last night!" "Alright buddy!" Sano whispered seriously. "I smell big trouble and an even bigger trouble if things stay as they are between those two." "Yeah right!" Yahiko whispered back. "I guess it's up to us to do something about it huh?" "My thoughts exactly! Okay, this is what we're going to do….." Both guys huddled and came up with…..Sorry guys but all we heard were just the whispers of the two conspirators.
$#POW&# !#$% KLUG*%$… "What the heck are you two doing just sitting there!? We happen to have a lot of work to do around here so get moving!" Kaoru yelled at Sano and Yahiko. "And stop pretending to be asleep I already know that ruse!" Sano, still dizzy from his encounter with Mr. Broom, turned his head in time to see Kaoru's feet stomping away. He turned the other way and saw Yahiko sprawled on the floor as he is, a silly expression on his face, with his eyes still swirling. "Good thing we finished the plan in time" Sano thought. "Now we have to work on it, and fast….for all our sake!" He looked at Yahiko again and said "Especially ours...."
Kaoru started sweeping the house angrily, but in a way she was glad too that there seem to be some things unchanged since yesterday morning. She sighed, Kenshin wanted to talk to her a moment ago. "What did he want to tell me? It seemed difficult for him to say whatever it is…A confession, perhaps?" Kaoru asked herself. "I know I have to face him, and it sooner or later, but for now I just have to keep it together." Kaoru looked out the window trying to control the tears that threatened to flow, but luckily, she saw Yujiro walking back. She took a deep breath and smiled. Kaoru was glad to have Yujiro here, he provided a good reason to forget this…thing with Kenshin.
Kenshin watched from afar as Kaoru rushed to greet Yujiro. The hurt he was feeling seemed to have grown since last night. Kaoru's smile used to be for him…Not bearing to see anymore of this, Kenshin decided to take a walk. Suddenly, his razor-sharp instinct told him to be cautious. Someone evil is out there. He went outside and saw three men standing in front of the house. "Hired assassins" Kenshin thought and walked calmly towards them. "Who are you and what do you want?" Kenshin asked. "Oh nothing" the tallest of the three answered. "Just making sure of something. Hey listen kid samurai, if you don't want to be toast for breakfast, best keep your nose where it belongs….Away from us!" Bwhahahahaha….the man laughed and his two companions laughed with him as they took their leave and walked away. Kenshin's eyes narrowed. "Who WERE those men and how are they connected to Yujiro?" Kenshin held his sword, "There's going to be trouble here" he thought.
Yujiro looked at Kaoru as they sat together on the dojo stairs and noticed something different about her. She's chirpy as a bird and she's smiling a lot too, but her eyes were a mirror of sadness. That thought of Koaru being sad gave Yujiro more headache than Dubley's pistol. And on the topic of Dubley's pistol, he recalled the events of last night. He woke up in the cave, tied, with the back of his head throbbing in pain. Barkley smiled again, this time of delight…in seeing him helpless and hurt. "Well, well, now that you're awake, let me tell you about our plan B" Barkley said and then told him the most diabolical plan he's ever heard.
"Over my dead body, Barkley!" Yujiro said, but Barkley merely laughed. "No, no, no, you little brat! Killing you would do me no good and besides I know you wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice your life for your friend. I wonder though if you would sacrifice her life instead, and your mother's too…hahahaha!!!" "You fiend!" Yujiro cried as he struggled, in vain, to be free. "You stay away from Kaoru and you stay away from my mother!!!" "You are in no position to give me orders!" Barkey barked. "You're in more of a position to obey…! Harharharharhar…"
Yujiro could still hear his laughter and his jaw tightened in anger. He had no choice but to agree with "the plan," especially when he saw the three assassins that Barkley hired to make sure he sticks to it. He had to warn Kaoru somehow and his mother too. But what would he tell them, he doesn't even know why Barkley wanted this dojo in the first place! "Darn it all!" Yujiro thought. "How could I have involved Kaoru in this mess!? How can I make sure she'd be alright!? Suddenly Yujiro's eyes caught Kaoru's red- haired friend enter the dojo looking very serious and holding the hilt of his sword. He felt it the first time he laid eyes on that Kenshin, and he felt it even more strongly now. That man is no ordinary samurai and he cares for Kaoru, maybe in ways that Yujiro would never understand. "That's it!" Yujiro thought…. "Perhaps….he might be able to help….perhaps…."
Kaoru looked at Yujiro. He was just smiling with her a moment ago, but now he seems lost in his own thought. There's something that's really bothering him and Kaoru wished she knew what it was. This goes deeper that just a misunderstanding between him and his mother, a lot deeper and probably more complicated. "Yu-chan," Kaoru said softly, snapping Yujiro from his thoughts. Yujiro smiled weakly at Kaoru, and Kaoru's heart went out to him. By pure instinct, Kaoru held his hand as she had done so many times, a long time ago.
Seeing Kaoru touch Yujiro's hand with Kenshin watching them and looking sour, Sano gave Yahiko a punch in the head. "You little coconut head! You were supposed to keep watch for Yujiro! How are we supposed to keep him away from the dojo and let those two lovebirds have their moment alone now!" "Cut it out you big buffoon, if I remember correctly, you were supposed to have the first watch!" "No way…you were!" "No, you!" "No, you!" "No, you!" "No, you!"……Eherrrm, Lets leave them alone now, before the punching starts okay.
**************************************************************
Back in the cave, Barkley sat at his table and for the nth time since he found the map in his grandfather's trunk he opened it again. He spread a newer map and compared the two. He laughed as he saw that the lines were identical, but his mouth watered as he saw the X mark on the old map. It landed directly on top of the Kamiya Dojo on the new one……
………….to be continued(c",)
