Dragon duty
By Koseno
No I don't own any of the Kenshin-gumi I only own Yoko, Sakura, Tiara, Reki, and Fena the dragons… Don't worry you'll understand once you start reading. This story takes place after the Kyoto arc. Oh just a note I hate how Kaoru's only job is to say ken-shin and start crying so I'm making her more outspoken and devious in her ways of getting Kenshin. And trust me people when I say devious.
Oh yeah *** denotes someone thinking.
Chapter 2
Everyone sat on the porch well away from Karou's reach with her broom as she swept the yard. With each switch of her hands on the broom came another curse word.
"Che."
Misao leaned over to Sano. "I think she's been around you too long Sano."
"Oi, its not my fault that Kenshin had a dragon after him when he was younger."
"Sano." Everyone turned to Kenshin who had stayed quiet all the way home. He turned away from Karou.
"Sessha was an assassin. No one knew of my existence and those that did didn't live long. I don't know who that woman is but she's dangerous. The dragons were as notorious as I was and still are.
Karou threw down the broom when someone knocked on the door and went to go get it.
She gasped as Sakura came into view.
"Nani?" Sakura bowed.
"Sumanu to come unannounced." She looked up. "Onegai, can I come in?" Karou looked at Sakura who had changed into a blue kimono. Her hair was plated and hung over her shoulder and she was holding two delicately wrapped packages, one very small and the other thin and long.
"AA. I suppose." Karou glared at the woman as she stood up and entered the house like she owned it. She was about to close the door when a foot was placed in its path. Sakura turned around.
"Oh I forgot to mention them, sumanu." The other dragons entered all holding boxes.
Yoko turned to her and smiled. "This is for you and your friends for this morning. I really did want to thank you all in some way." She turned and followed Sakura with the others trailing after her.
"Mou." Karou closed the door and followed them.
"Kenshin, we have guests could you fix some tea?" The women all turned around in different faces of shock. Sakura glared at Karou.
"Can you not do it yourself? He was not meant to be a servant." Misao gasped. Yahiko snickered.
"Maa maa. I do it
all the time. There is nothing wrong with knowing how to cook." Sakura's
eyebrow lifted.
"Hiko did not raise you to be a maid with all his training Ba-san, remember that. If she wants tea so badly she can make it."
"Uh Sakura," Tiara said, "We are his guests if he wants to cook let him." Karou glared at all of the women.
"No you are my
guests all of you are and I will be respected in my own home."
"Yes, but who protects this house? You or Hikorii-san?" Fena whispered.
"It must be him. Did you see her form and the others form? They definitely need to stop all the fancy moves they do and just fight. It was rather pathetic to watch them. But Hikorii-san was beautiful to watch. His form was perfect a true killer." Kenshin flinched.
"The only agility you would know about is how do spread your legs wider you hag. I have no extra moves and you're the ones that needed saving today not us." Misao said. Sakura laughed.
"You really think that they needed your help in any way shape or form? Would you like to challenge one of us?" Misao stood.
"Yes. She was about to get her ass kicked in the middle of the street when we helped her. The only thing you are all good for is a good pass time for our countries men. I'll fight one of you. No weapons." Yoko nodded.
"You won't get our men so you might as well leave." Karou sneered at Sakura. Sakura turned to Karou.
"You have no control over Ba-san except for the love he holds for you." She turned to Kenshin. "Loving her as well as Tomoe were both foolish mistakes Ba-san I wish you would have listened to your instincts when you met that evil woman. I wish I had killed her." Kenshin stood his eyes turned blue.
"How do you know of Tomoe?" She ignored him.
"You really don't remember me do you?" Kenshin stepped off the porch towards Karou.
"Sakura lets just leave. It has been ten years he won't remember you. He has her now."
"He has a little girl. He should just forget about her and come with us so we…" She stopped as Karou ran at her with her boku. She sidestepped her and tripped her with the long package.
"This is not about you Karou." She turned back to Kenshin.
"The last time we met I made a promise to you. I said that I would always be there for you no matter how or…" quick as lighting Sakura pulled out a bladed fan and slashed Karou's boku as it came at her head. She turned so that she could see both Kenshin and Karou knowing that one would retaliate.
"I thought that this was a school of honor. There is no honor when you attack from behind. You disgrace the honor that Ba-san fought so hard to preserve."
"You talk about honor yet you give yourself away to men."
"That was not my choice Kenshin." Sakura said his name for the first time.
"Then who the hells was it." Sano asked.
"Hiko's" Kenshin glared at Sakura.
"Sou de gozaru ka? What does my shishou have to do with you?"
"Don't be quick to judge me Kenshin. You may have taken ten years to wander in order to repent but your hands are still as bloody as mine. You killed to save lives I did the same."
"Kenshin killed to bring peace. Sano said that you killed just for the money. That's not the same." Yahiko said.
"How does he know what its like? I know that he traveled with that foolish band of people who were murdered but that was just the remnants of the war. I was twelve years old not much younger than you when my master took me to the yakuza."
"Hiko was your master?" Sakura put her fan away and turned to Kenshin.
"Iie. Onigai, can we speak inside? The food grows cold in their hands." Kenshin nodded and led the way inside.
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After the food was all gone Sakura began her story.
"Hiko's art is a powerful one. In fact it is so powerful that it had to be broken up into two parts. Hen and shadow make what is the fastest and most efficient way of fighting… of killing. The yen and yang of martial arts. And just as Ba-san is the yen he needed a yang."
"Let me guess that would be you?" Misao glared at Sakura.
"Why do you hate me so much little one, because you think that Aoishi had something with one of us?" Misao jumped up and threw one of her kunai at Sakura. She caught it deftly and put it on the table. "Rest assured that killers never bed killers. As I said before you use too much arm in your movements." Sakura picked up the kunai and flicked her wrist. It hit the table next to Misao's hand. "We had a different reason all together to stay away from him but you may ask him." Reki smiled at the shock on the girls face.
"Yes, I was the yang. Hiko would have just killed Ba-san if not for his sister finding me." Sano laughed and spit out his fish bone. Yoko frowned but stayed quiet.
"He has a sister?"
"Yes."
"Hey, I know this is off subject but why do you call Kenshin Ba-san?"
"Because I don't think he would prefer to be known as Shinta in front of his friends."
"Wait, what do you mean Shinta?" Karou asked.
"Sakura" Kenshin warned. She smiled at him.
"You mean to tell me that he never told you, the woman he loves, about…" She stopped when Kenshin stood up his eyes a cold blue.
"That's enough."
"Why? You do know that I have a lot of lost time to make up for and you have a lot to answer for."
"I don't have to answer to you or any of your kind." Sakura's eyes turned blue also as she stood up.
"Watch your tongue Shinta or it might get cut off. I went through hell and back for you."
"He never asked you to." Karou stated as she uneasily tried to calm the ruffled feathers in the room.
"He never had too. That is the form of our relationship Shinta." She stopped when she found Kenshin's sakabou against her neck.
"You wouldn't dare strike me Shinta."
"You are trying my patients woman. What hell did you go through that was worse than mine?" Sakura glared at him.
"You chose your destiny Shinta. I never had a choice. I went through hell so you could get your training and you left Hiko before it was even finished. I was rapped, and beaten, and then branded…for you."
"What do you mean branded?" Sano asked. Sakura lifted her hand up and brushed Kenshin's blade away.
She then turned and undid her obi. The kimono fell over her shoulders and down her back revealing a purple and blue dragon. Misao gasped along with Karou. Sakura pulled up her kimono and retied her obi turning around again when it was done.
She wiped her neck just noticing that it hurt. Her hand came away with blood on it. She turned her head to Kenshin holding her hand up.
"You cut me?"
"You noticed." Kenshin's voice was as hard as ice.
"Would you like me to cut your woman and let her see how it feels? Oh wait you did such a good job with Tomoe you might as well handle Karou too." Kenshin's eyes turned blue his ki screaming.
"You are not worthy of speaking of Tomoe."
"You know nothing of the woman except that you killed her fiancé. I knew her like a sister or should I say as a sister in my 'art'. Was she good Shinta or were you too involved in killing back then, in promoting your 'cause' to notice what you stuck yourself into?" Karou gasped and paled.
"You don't have to listen to a whore like her Kenshin."
"Who the hell is Tomoe?" Misao wondered aloud.
"His wife." Karou turned red. She stared in disbelief at Kenshin.
"He's married?" Sano sputtered.
"He was." Reki answered.
"What happened?" Sakura turned to Yahiko.
"He killed her."
"Get out." Kenshin whispered. His eyes were golden now.
"What's the matter Shinta oh wait Hikkori Battosai no that's not it Kenshin is what you go by these days isn't it?"
"Get out before I do something I swore never to do again Sakura."
"What never kill again? I was there when you made that vow Kenshin and I have been with you every step of the way as your shadow. You have not needed me but now there is something coming that you on your own can't stop and I must do my duty."
"Kenshin can beat anyone what can you do? All you are is a whore. Leave my house you aren't welcome here anymore." Sakura bowed and looked over at the other women.
"Yes, it is time for us to leave. The night is young and we have our job to attend too." The women left but Sakura stayed behind.
"This is for you Karou. But I figure you will just throw it away." She handed the small package to her.
"And this…" she turned to Kenshin, "Is for you. Guard it well. Its last master gave her up but I think you two will become fast friends. Goodbye Shinta. If you want to know of you're past and what lurks in both our futures go to the hotel." She bowed again and turned for the door.
"I await you." She left.
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