I'm kinda lazy with descriptions...I don't want to edit because I'm too lazy. Gomen! EK-san, I'm not relly Nihonjin but almost all my friends are so, argh! I have to learn it.

Chapter 3

They wandered trough the streets for a little time and Soujirou wanted to look around the old structure he used to call home. So, he told Karu to buy herself a new set of clothes and they'll just meet at the shop across the street. Of course, there came a little argument between them but in the end, Soujirou won.

He hoped it still stood and sure enough it still was standing. He walked around to see if anyone was living there now and saw a happy family eating a meal together. They're so lucky. I hope they'd be like that for a long time. I wish that had been my family. He thought as he closed his eyes and remembered the maltreatment he got when he was young. When he reopened his eyes, he noticed that the place where the father sat moments ago was devoid. He spun around when he heard a voice call him... it was the father that he saw a while ago.

"Oi, boya [hey, boy]!" called the man, "Koko de nani suru imasu ka [what are you doing here]?"

Soujirou knew he was trespassing and backed out toward the main gate "G-gomenasai, otosan [sorry, Mr.]. Watashi wa ima ikite imasu [I'll be going now]."

"You didn't answer my question."

"I was just passing by my old abode."

"Sou desu ka [is that so]? There are a lot of rumors about what happened in this old household so that's why people don't want to live here. Maybe," he rubbed his white-bearded chin and smiled "You can clear things up, ne? While you're at it, eat with us as well."

Soujirou bowed low "Arigato gozaimasu [thank you]. You're very kind to a stranger like me." and entered the house. He noticed a lot of changes since he was last there as he walked through the dining table. The owner motioned him to sit at the empty space between him and his children.

"Chichi, kono hito wa dare desu ka [dad, who is this person]?" asked the elder of the two.

"This is the person who lived here before us. Onamae wa nan to osshaimasu ka [what's your name]?"

"Watashi wa Seta Soujirou desu douzo Yoroshiku [I am Soujiro Seta Nice to meet you]." he bowed slghtly.

"Aa! Gomenasai [sorry]. Allow me to introduce my family and I. Watashi wa Yagara Koya, kore wa kanai Mizuko to watashi-tachi no kodomo Tsuyoki to Toko [I am Koya Yagara, this is my wife Mizuko and our children, Tsuyoki and Toko]. Please tell us what really happened to this household because a lot of people say it's cursed." the mother pleaded and gave him a bowl of rice and fish, "Douzo."

"Hai. Itadakimasu [yes. Thank you for the food]." he took several bites then told them, "The family here was visited by Shishio Makoto, ever heard of him?" and finished the rest of his food as the others thought about who he is.

"He and his twisted kuni tori?" blurted out the Toko, the younger child after a some time of silent thought "Yeah, we've heard of him." the others nodded in agreement.

"Well, one of his followers killed them because they knew that he was hiding Shishio out in their storage." Soujirou continued.

"Why on earth would anyone hide that merciless killer in the innocent people's storage?" the father asked in a tone of anger.

"It was sort of like a thanks for him for sparing his life in the past."

"How did you escape them?" asked the younger of the siblings quizically.

Soujirou swallowed hard, "I hid under the house when I heard their voices."

"Taihen desu ne [it must be hard for you]." the mother offered her condolences. "Doko e ikimasu ka [where did you go]?"

"Kyoto e ikimasu, sorekara rurounin wa ni narundemasu [I went to Kyoto then I became a wanderer]." Soujirou sighed satisfied that they don't ask further details.

"Anata wa rurouni made ima desu ka [are you a wanderer until now]?" asked the Tsuyoki.

"Hai." Soujirou replied solemnly.

"Sugoi [that's great]! Can you tell us about your travels?"

"I think we better not bother even more about his life unless he offers us his stories, ne Soujiro?"

"H-hai." Soujirou then let out a sigh of relief.

"Since you have nowhere to go, why don't you stay with us for the time being." the mother offered.

"Chotto Sumimasen, watashi no tomo--onna no kyodai wa matsute imasu kara [I'm sorry I can't, because my frien-sister is waiting]." Soujirou excused himself.

"Your sister can stay too. It wouldn't be a problem. There is a spare room here." the father encouraged him.

"Yeah, you're kinda cool! Konban koko de tomaru, onegaishimasu... [stay here for tonight, please]." the elder one pleaded.

"Hai." Soujirou bowed and stood up "Domo arigato gozaimsu." The children escorted him through the gate and waved goodbye.

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Karu whistled along as she waited patiently for Soujirou. Wearing her new clothes that looked much more like a typical Japanese samurai boy's clothing in white, Karu got another package just for Soujirou. I'm really spending a lot for clothes. she thought to herself. She turned to look at the window and gasped at what she saw. Shurikens, daggers, chains, tobi-kunais, and all other sorts of weapons of every size and shape. She closed her eyes and started to remember her step mother's face filled with hatred and her step brother's sneers as he did what he pleased. She felt sure her tears would flow there but some unknown force held them back. She suddenly snapped back to reality as she heard Soujirou call her.

"Zenbu wa daijoubu desu ka [Is everything all right]?" Soujirou asked noticing her slightly solemn face.

She suddenly switched into her cheery-self and said, "Un [yeah]. Daijoubu."

"Karu, I found a place where we could stay for tonight."

"Gomen ne, Soujirou-kun. Juubun no okane ga wakaranai no yo [I don't know if we have enough money]. I exchanged some of the gold for money." Karu admitted handing over the parcel she was holding, "I bought you this."

"You shouldn't have, but, thanks. The lodging is free. There's a nice family that offered us to stay."

"Hountou ka [really]?! Shikashi [but]...it feels...well...akward. You know what I mean."

"They insisted that we stay there. I tried to refuse." he srugged. "Come on. I promised them we would stay." he said outstretching his hand.

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They were greeted by the children as soon as they were in sight. Tsuyoki encircled Karu a bit then smiled, "Wa! Anata wa kirei desu [You're beautiful]. Nan de namae wa desu ka [what's your name]? Watashi wa Tsuyoki desu."

"Konnichiwa [good afternoon] Tsuyoki. Hajimemashite watashi wa Yamaokami Karu desu Douzo Yoroshiku."

"Watashi wa Toko desu. Anta wa rurouni desu ka [are you a wanderer]?" asked Toko.

"Hai. Toko-kun."

"Toko!" Koya boomed. "Gomenasai, Soujirou-san. Karu-san, let me introduce myself, I am Koya Yagare and my wife Mizuko."

"Thank you for letting us stay here. You're so kind to two complete strangers like us." she bowed to them.

"Come in. Please feel comfortable. It's nice having some guests once in a while."

"You must be very hungry," presumed Mizuko, "Please come in and have your dinner."

"Oh, thank you but, I've already eaten." she refused after seeing such a poorly kept house and so little food that was set on the table the two boys were staring at hungrily.

"Are you sure?" asked Mizuko.

"Hai, okasan [miss]." she replied and half regretted she didn't since she hadn't really eaten anything.

"Can we eat it up now, okaasan [mother]?" the children asked.

"Ee, musuko [son]."

"They talked a lot during their meal with their topics ranging from the house to some other stuff so that they can know each other better. It was some sort of bonding but not once did Karu mention or gave an idea that she was from the future. The hearty conversation went on from hours at end until the children were too sleepy to continue and were shooed back to their beds. Kiyo, meanwhile, led his guests to one room which was the only one available, said his apologies to them and went off.

Soujirou gave Karu a warm smile, "Anata wa moo tabenakatta desuyo ne [you haven't eaten yet have you]?"

"Was it that obvious? I mean those boys looked so hungry."

"Iie, I just felt it." he sat down and opened the parcel that Karu had given him "I have to admit you're a very good liar. You have lied to me several times, now haven't you?"

"Anou, h-hai. I sort of did. Gomenne." she shrugged and smothered out her futon.

"Ja, daijoubu da yo [well, it's O.K.]." he settled in and stared up the battered ceiling. "Karera wa watashi-tachi ni shinsetsu na shite iru ja nai na no yo [I don't know why they're so kind to us]."

"Ee, hen desuyo ne [Isn't it wierd]?" She, too got herself positioned in her futon. But I wonder... "Oyasumi, Soujirou."

"Oyasumi, Karu-chan." he replied rather groggily as gentle rain started to pour outside.

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The rain that began hours ago seemed to worsened rather than subsided. Through the old ceiling, a few drops of water came hurtling itself at Karu's face which she kept avoiding shifting into different angular positions unconsciously. The next thing she knew was she was lying on the cold, damp surface of the floor with her futon half wet of the drip. She sat up and yawned softly, being careful not to wake her sleeping companion.

All this was done in vain as Soujirou awoke with a start when drops of rain started to drip on his face. He, too, found his futon a little less damp than Karu's was.They both moved their futons carefully to a spot where little rain dripped. And, as they were about to go back to sleep, they heard men talking...rather, yelling...and children crying.

Their curiosity sent them to the dining room where Koya and his family appears to be bullied by some other men. They were laughing like mad as Koya begged for something looking frightened as the men approached them with old fashioned revolvers.

"Would anyone mind telling us what's going on around here?" Karu said, appearing from the shadows.

"Dare ka [who are you]? Nani suru 'n da ze [what are you doing here]." Asked one of the men.

"I know that's it's rude to interrupt in other people's business, but, I don't take kindly to bullying." she remarked "And as to who I am you just have to know."

Soujirou had no choice but to emerge as well when he remembered what Kenshin had advised him: 'to protect the weak.'

"Do you think that you're a match against us?" the other man grinned maliciously, "We are armed with guns and you... with just one sword. How pathetic!"

"All you've got are revolvers and you brag?! How thick can you get?" she smiled knowingly, "the pressure in that barrel only has enough force to burry a nail in a thick wood."

"You dare mock us, you foolish girl?!" one of them raged, "Let's see if you still talk like that after your head's been shot." he said lifting the gun at her menacingly.

"Karu," Soujirou whispered, "We better move now, or else we'll be shot."

"Just wait for it Soujirou. With your sword you could kill them and I don't want you doing that." she whispered back and said the next words quite loudly trying to sound as confident as possible, "Have you ever been shot by a pellet gun?"

"Nani [a what]?" asked the man holding his revolver up.

"Kore [this]!" Karu got a pellet gun from the loose portion of the sleeves of her new haori that looked like a Colt .45 and shot the gun out of his hand and shot the other as well just as the second man was pulling his. And, as if on cue, Soujirou knocked them both out.

Koya and Mizuko bowed ever so low and thanked them, their eyes were rimmed with tears. The children, as innocent as they were, hugged them both crying their eyes out. Karu kneeled down and comforted the youngster hugging him back, patting his back and saying comforting words to him. Soujirou on the other hand brought back consciousness to the older child who was petrified with terror. As both children had pulled themselves together, Karu said the words she had always wanted to say since she saw the scenario.

Author's notes: otosan (father) can also be used by others since it does not refer to one's own father same goes with okasan (mother)
chichi refers to one's own father
I don't know what the heck 'itadakimasu' literally means but it is often said before a meal. It may have come from the word 'itadaku'-humbly 
 recieve

Chapter2

Chapter 4