Tanuki To Ryuu
Well, so begins the wedding arc! Just found a lot about Shinto
weddings and my original thoughts were incorrect! The
ceremony can be held at a shrine though, so some of my notions can be
used still. Who enjoyed the Mastery Arc? I did ^_^x
Chapter 15- A Trade for the Bridegroom?
Kenshin finished the project he worked on early in the morning
and looked at his progress. He nodded to himself in satisfaction and
picked up the object he was working on to show Kaoru. Kenshin slid the
dojo's door open and saw Kaoru was in the middle of her forms.
"Kenshin!" Kaoru said in a happy tone, "What's behind your back?"
Kaoru tried to peer behind Kenshin's back to see what he was hiding.
"Ah, Kaoru," Kenshin said with a smile, "It's a gift to
celebrate your mastery!" Kenshin presented Kaoru with a wooden sign
which read 'Kamiya Kaoru, Master' in Kenshin's barely legible
handwriting. Kaoru looked at the sign with an odd expression in her
eyes and tilted her head to see if she could read it better. "Oro,
Kaoru you don't like it?" Kenshin asked, worried that she didn't like
his gift.
"No no, its very sweet!" Kaoru replied, "Its just that I can
barely read it." Kaoru took the sign into her hands and held it to get
a closer look. "Its nice, really it is, but it doesn't look too
professional. Kenshin, how come you can control a sword with precision
but you can barely make characters legible?"
"Oro? Is it really that bad?" Kenshin asked. "I guess its
just that my master never really taught me that much in the way of
handwriting. We can wait for another plaque, but it would help your
school if everyone knows you are a full master," Kaoru looked at
Kenshin and then the poorly written sign. She sighed in defeat.
"Well, it could go up for a while until I make a more permanent
one," Kaoru said as she ran her hand over the sign. She walked to the
far wall of the dojo and took down the old sign with her name that had
'Assistant Master', written by her father before he left, and replaced
it with the one Kenshin wrote. "There, now everyone will know I'm a
Master," Kaoru said as she stepped back and looked at the row of wooden
plaques.
"Yeah, it looks great," Kenshin stepped next to Kaoru and put
his arm over her shoulder. "Kaoru, I was thinking about the wedding.
Do you want a ceremony in the spring or before winter arrives?" Kenshin
asked Kaoru.
"Well, the sooner the better I think," Kaoru replied. "Tae's
been looking forward to planning a wedding for a LONG time I think we
should invite Misao and Aoshi as well. First we need to find a priest
and shrine, though,"
***
Kenshin and Kaoru walked into a modest Shinto shrine. "This
looks like a nice place," Kaoru said as she looked at the well-kept
temple. An aged priest walked forward and greeted the pair.
"Ah, hello! How can I be of service to such a lovely young
couple?" the priest asked as he gave a small bow.
"The two of us would like to be married," Kenshin answered with
a smile. "We'd prefer a ceremony performed within a month if
possible,"
"Alright, I think we can arrange that," the priest remarked.
"Oh, and which family name do you two wish to register under?"
"Kamiya," Kaoru answered. The priest's face turned white.
"K..kamiya? As in the Kamiya dojo?" the priest asked. Kenshin
and Kaoru nodded.
"Yes, is that a problem?" Kenshin asked. Kaoru frowned and
knew what to expect.
"Umm, no, its not but, OPPS, I seemed to have forgotten, we've
been booked solid for months now, sorry!" the priest said in a hasty
manner. "Better luck elsewhere!"
Kenshin and Kaoru walked out of the shrine and back into the
street. "That was the fifth shrine," Kaoru muttered to herself.
"Kenshin," Kaoru asked as she turned her head to face her fiancee, "does
my dojo really have that kind of reputation?"
"Maa maa," Kenshin replied, "its just that no other place in
Tokyo's been attacked by balloons and ninjas and Shinsengumi. Its
neither of our faults, Kaoru. Don't worry, we'll find a priest,"
"We are almost out of shrines, Kenshin!" Kaoru shouted. Kaoru
sighed in defeat. "We could have the ceremony in the dojo. That
would cut down on the cost. Maybe Aoshi and Misao will have a better
idea when they get here,"
"Yeah. My Master should be back in six days as well," Kaoru
gave Kenshin a strange look. "Oro? What's the matter, Kaoru?"
Kenshin asked.
"Kenshin, I know he raised you, but does he really have to be
there? He'll probably drink the ceremonial sake," Kaoru said.
"Maa maa," Kenshin responded, "he's like a father to me! I'll
make sure he will leave enough for the ceremony,"
***
"Hey, stupid apprentice," Hiko remarked from the top of Kaoru's
roof. "What did you want to talk to me about?" Kenshin arranged for
them to talk that night to reassure Kaoru that Hiko would not get in the
way of the ceremony.
"Kaoru and I are trying to arrange a wedding ceremony," Kenshin
said. "You will be invited, but only if you don't drink the ceremonial
sake,"
"Do you think that low of me?" Hiko answered. "I feel
insulted. In fact, I was about to offer an easy solution for the two
of you,"
"What kind of solution?" Kenshin asked. Any solution Hiko
offered would have been either rather strange or rather twisted.
"I know a priest," Hiko answered. "I can get him to perform
the ceremony. But, how will you support your new wife, Kenshin? Your
only talent is the sword and you aren't allowed to teach my Hiten
Misturugi Ryuu,"
"You know a priest?" Kenshin asked in disbelief. "How?"
"Well, I experimented in a bit of everything before I started
pottery. He's a drinking buddy," Hiko replied. Kenshin thought for a
moment and glared at Hiko.
"Can you teach me pottery?" Kenshin asked. Hiko laughed loudly
at Kenshin's question.
"I doubt it," Hiko answered. "You may be able to control a
sword well, but you need talented hands to mold clay. Your handwriting
shows you don't have such talent. I suggest you stick with what you
are good at,"
"But I can't teach Hiten Misturugi Ryuu for a living," Kenshin
answered.
"There's another solution. One that will also help prolong
Hiten Misturugi Ryuu's effectiveness," Hiko replied with a grin. "So
I'll be back in six days. You want the ceremony three weeks from now,
right? That's cutting it close,"
***
"Hold it, Kenshin," Kaoru said in surprise, "He will WHAT?!" she
screamed as a queestion.
"Maa maa," Kenshin answered as he held his hands up defensively.
"He's the only one that knows a priest that will perform the ceremony,
and he will only charge us for sake!"
"Fine," Kaoru replied. "What else did you want to ask me?"
Kenshin took the sakabato out of his belt, laid it beside him and bowed
low to Kaoru.
"Kaoru, can you please teach me Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu?" Kenshin
asked in a humble voice.
"Is this your idea of a joke, Kenshin?" Kaoru asked, "Because I
don't think it's a very funny one,"
"I'm serious, Kaoru," Kenshin answered as he lifted his head up.
"How will I support you or our children? If I'm an instructor of
Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu, I can at least help you give lessons,"
"You serious about this, Kenshin?" Kaoru asked as she considered
being Kenshin's master for a short time.
"Very much so, Kaoru. Besides, I need an alternative to Hiten
Misturugi Ryuu," Kenshin pointed out. Kaoru contemplated the last
fact.
"Alright, Kenshin," Kaoru answered. "You'll start tomorrow,
after Yahiko and Yutaro finish with their lessons for the day,"
"What's this?" Ayane asked as she slid the door open. "You're
going to be his master? But isn't he like insanely better than you?"
"Yeah Kenshin!" Yahiko shouted as he stepped around Ayane, "What
are you doing asking Kaoru for lessons?"
"Kamiya-sensei," Yutaro asked as he peered around Yahiko's head,
"will this affect my lessons?"
"Oh goodness!" Tae shouted enthusiastically as she walked into
the dojo as well, "This will do wonders with your relationship, Kaoru-
chan!"
"Hey, this is a private moment!" Kaoru shouted as she felt her
face flush in a furious blush. The large group of eavedroppers sighed
and closed the door.
"Thank you, Kaoru," Kenshin said with a smile, then blushed.
"But there is something I wish to discuss with you about this. You
see," Kenshin nervously rubbed the back of his head and continued, "when
I see you fight or practice, it excites me,"
"You have to be kidding," Kaoru whispered. "You better not act
on it, Kenshin. Save it for later, alright?"
"I'll try, Kaoru," Kenshin answered with a nervous grin.
***
Three days later, Kaoru sat on the porch of the dojo with a
small scold on her face. "Three days, I can't believe it, THREE DAYS!"
she said in a slightly irate tone. "I know you were good, Kenshin, but
no one should be able to learn an ENTIRE martial art style in three
days!" Her other two students were inside the dojo going through their
forms and Ayane was hanging the laundry. Kenshin, her lastest
graduate, sat next to her and served her some tea.
"If anything, think of it as a compliment to your instructing
ability," Kenshin replied with an easy-going smile. "Besides, I've
been practicing kenjutsu for 18 years, not to mention I witnessed you
instructing both Yahiko and Yutaro, thus I picked up on most of the
forms earlier,"
"If you explain it like that," Kaoru started to say, "I guess
its alright, but it still is weird,"
"No weirder than the normal events that happen here," Shinomori
Aoshi said as he walked into the courtyard with Misao. "Misao insisted
we come as soon as possible,"
"Yeah!" Misao chirped energetically as she hopped around, "We
couldn't wait to come and help! Hey, Aoshi-sama, we can be the 'go-
between', right?" Misao asked with an eager expression in her eyes.
"Its up to Kamiya and Himura," Aoshi responded, "although we
would be honored to serve as the 'go-between'. There is plenty of time
to make arrangements now that the Tonno Akutsa situation has been
resolved,"
"Hey, Kaoru," Ayane said as she looked at Aoshi and Misao
suspiciously, "who are these two ninja? The little girl's certainly
LOUD,"
"Loud?! LITTLE?!" Misao shouted as she grabbed a handful of
kunai. "I'll show you who's loud!" Aoshi grabbed Misao by her
ribbon-obi to hold her back. "Aoshi-sama, she called me loud! Let me
at that cat-girl!" Ayane's left eyebrow twitched.
"I'd rather be a cat than a weasel," Ayane retorted as she
grabbed her naginata.
"Calm down you two!" Kaoru shouted. "Now if you all will stay
here, you all will have to get along! That means NO FIGHTING! Ayane,
yes Aoshi and Misao are friends of mine. Misao, Aoshi, this is Ayane.
She helped with with the Tonno situation," Kaoru introduced the three
people. Ayane and Misao made it a point to avoid eye contact. "Now
if you want to be at my wedding ceremony, I want the two of you to at
least dress like girls,"
"Kaoru-san!" Misao objected, "I can't kick as well in a kimono!"
"It's a WEDDING, not a battlefield, Misao-chan," Kaoru
responded, "so I think kicking isn't going to be a priority. Ayane, do
you have a complaint as well?"
"Well, its just that I don't have anything like a woman's
kimono," Ayane said.
"Well," Kenshin said with a smile, "There's a first time for
everything,"
***
So begins the Wedding Arc! I picked the cat as Ayane's animal
because, I dunno, it seemed to fit ^_^x. Of course Kenshin would feel
the need to be the breadwinner, thus is why I think his choice to become
an instructor is well-warranted, even though he's keeping the strength
of the HMR a secret, he'd need something else to use in combat.
Who is this priest Hiko knows that is willing to perform a
ceremony for perhaps one of the biggest trouble-attracting couples of
manga-dom? Well, he's gonna be just as crazy as Hiko, in his own
little way.
Well, so begins the wedding arc! Just found a lot about Shinto
weddings and my original thoughts were incorrect! The
ceremony can be held at a shrine though, so some of my notions can be
used still. Who enjoyed the Mastery Arc? I did ^_^x
Chapter 15- A Trade for the Bridegroom?
Kenshin finished the project he worked on early in the morning
and looked at his progress. He nodded to himself in satisfaction and
picked up the object he was working on to show Kaoru. Kenshin slid the
dojo's door open and saw Kaoru was in the middle of her forms.
"Kenshin!" Kaoru said in a happy tone, "What's behind your back?"
Kaoru tried to peer behind Kenshin's back to see what he was hiding.
"Ah, Kaoru," Kenshin said with a smile, "It's a gift to
celebrate your mastery!" Kenshin presented Kaoru with a wooden sign
which read 'Kamiya Kaoru, Master' in Kenshin's barely legible
handwriting. Kaoru looked at the sign with an odd expression in her
eyes and tilted her head to see if she could read it better. "Oro,
Kaoru you don't like it?" Kenshin asked, worried that she didn't like
his gift.
"No no, its very sweet!" Kaoru replied, "Its just that I can
barely read it." Kaoru took the sign into her hands and held it to get
a closer look. "Its nice, really it is, but it doesn't look too
professional. Kenshin, how come you can control a sword with precision
but you can barely make characters legible?"
"Oro? Is it really that bad?" Kenshin asked. "I guess its
just that my master never really taught me that much in the way of
handwriting. We can wait for another plaque, but it would help your
school if everyone knows you are a full master," Kaoru looked at
Kenshin and then the poorly written sign. She sighed in defeat.
"Well, it could go up for a while until I make a more permanent
one," Kaoru said as she ran her hand over the sign. She walked to the
far wall of the dojo and took down the old sign with her name that had
'Assistant Master', written by her father before he left, and replaced
it with the one Kenshin wrote. "There, now everyone will know I'm a
Master," Kaoru said as she stepped back and looked at the row of wooden
plaques.
"Yeah, it looks great," Kenshin stepped next to Kaoru and put
his arm over her shoulder. "Kaoru, I was thinking about the wedding.
Do you want a ceremony in the spring or before winter arrives?" Kenshin
asked Kaoru.
"Well, the sooner the better I think," Kaoru replied. "Tae's
been looking forward to planning a wedding for a LONG time I think we
should invite Misao and Aoshi as well. First we need to find a priest
and shrine, though,"
***
Kenshin and Kaoru walked into a modest Shinto shrine. "This
looks like a nice place," Kaoru said as she looked at the well-kept
temple. An aged priest walked forward and greeted the pair.
"Ah, hello! How can I be of service to such a lovely young
couple?" the priest asked as he gave a small bow.
"The two of us would like to be married," Kenshin answered with
a smile. "We'd prefer a ceremony performed within a month if
possible,"
"Alright, I think we can arrange that," the priest remarked.
"Oh, and which family name do you two wish to register under?"
"Kamiya," Kaoru answered. The priest's face turned white.
"K..kamiya? As in the Kamiya dojo?" the priest asked. Kenshin
and Kaoru nodded.
"Yes, is that a problem?" Kenshin asked. Kaoru frowned and
knew what to expect.
"Umm, no, its not but, OPPS, I seemed to have forgotten, we've
been booked solid for months now, sorry!" the priest said in a hasty
manner. "Better luck elsewhere!"
Kenshin and Kaoru walked out of the shrine and back into the
street. "That was the fifth shrine," Kaoru muttered to herself.
"Kenshin," Kaoru asked as she turned her head to face her fiancee, "does
my dojo really have that kind of reputation?"
"Maa maa," Kenshin replied, "its just that no other place in
Tokyo's been attacked by balloons and ninjas and Shinsengumi. Its
neither of our faults, Kaoru. Don't worry, we'll find a priest,"
"We are almost out of shrines, Kenshin!" Kaoru shouted. Kaoru
sighed in defeat. "We could have the ceremony in the dojo. That
would cut down on the cost. Maybe Aoshi and Misao will have a better
idea when they get here,"
"Yeah. My Master should be back in six days as well," Kaoru
gave Kenshin a strange look. "Oro? What's the matter, Kaoru?"
Kenshin asked.
"Kenshin, I know he raised you, but does he really have to be
there? He'll probably drink the ceremonial sake," Kaoru said.
"Maa maa," Kenshin responded, "he's like a father to me! I'll
make sure he will leave enough for the ceremony,"
***
"Hey, stupid apprentice," Hiko remarked from the top of Kaoru's
roof. "What did you want to talk to me about?" Kenshin arranged for
them to talk that night to reassure Kaoru that Hiko would not get in the
way of the ceremony.
"Kaoru and I are trying to arrange a wedding ceremony," Kenshin
said. "You will be invited, but only if you don't drink the ceremonial
sake,"
"Do you think that low of me?" Hiko answered. "I feel
insulted. In fact, I was about to offer an easy solution for the two
of you,"
"What kind of solution?" Kenshin asked. Any solution Hiko
offered would have been either rather strange or rather twisted.
"I know a priest," Hiko answered. "I can get him to perform
the ceremony. But, how will you support your new wife, Kenshin? Your
only talent is the sword and you aren't allowed to teach my Hiten
Misturugi Ryuu,"
"You know a priest?" Kenshin asked in disbelief. "How?"
"Well, I experimented in a bit of everything before I started
pottery. He's a drinking buddy," Hiko replied. Kenshin thought for a
moment and glared at Hiko.
"Can you teach me pottery?" Kenshin asked. Hiko laughed loudly
at Kenshin's question.
"I doubt it," Hiko answered. "You may be able to control a
sword well, but you need talented hands to mold clay. Your handwriting
shows you don't have such talent. I suggest you stick with what you
are good at,"
"But I can't teach Hiten Misturugi Ryuu for a living," Kenshin
answered.
"There's another solution. One that will also help prolong
Hiten Misturugi Ryuu's effectiveness," Hiko replied with a grin. "So
I'll be back in six days. You want the ceremony three weeks from now,
right? That's cutting it close,"
***
"Hold it, Kenshin," Kaoru said in surprise, "He will WHAT?!" she
screamed as a queestion.
"Maa maa," Kenshin answered as he held his hands up defensively.
"He's the only one that knows a priest that will perform the ceremony,
and he will only charge us for sake!"
"Fine," Kaoru replied. "What else did you want to ask me?"
Kenshin took the sakabato out of his belt, laid it beside him and bowed
low to Kaoru.
"Kaoru, can you please teach me Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu?" Kenshin
asked in a humble voice.
"Is this your idea of a joke, Kenshin?" Kaoru asked, "Because I
don't think it's a very funny one,"
"I'm serious, Kaoru," Kenshin answered as he lifted his head up.
"How will I support you or our children? If I'm an instructor of
Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu, I can at least help you give lessons,"
"You serious about this, Kenshin?" Kaoru asked as she considered
being Kenshin's master for a short time.
"Very much so, Kaoru. Besides, I need an alternative to Hiten
Misturugi Ryuu," Kenshin pointed out. Kaoru contemplated the last
fact.
"Alright, Kenshin," Kaoru answered. "You'll start tomorrow,
after Yahiko and Yutaro finish with their lessons for the day,"
"What's this?" Ayane asked as she slid the door open. "You're
going to be his master? But isn't he like insanely better than you?"
"Yeah Kenshin!" Yahiko shouted as he stepped around Ayane, "What
are you doing asking Kaoru for lessons?"
"Kamiya-sensei," Yutaro asked as he peered around Yahiko's head,
"will this affect my lessons?"
"Oh goodness!" Tae shouted enthusiastically as she walked into
the dojo as well, "This will do wonders with your relationship, Kaoru-
chan!"
"Hey, this is a private moment!" Kaoru shouted as she felt her
face flush in a furious blush. The large group of eavedroppers sighed
and closed the door.
"Thank you, Kaoru," Kenshin said with a smile, then blushed.
"But there is something I wish to discuss with you about this. You
see," Kenshin nervously rubbed the back of his head and continued, "when
I see you fight or practice, it excites me,"
"You have to be kidding," Kaoru whispered. "You better not act
on it, Kenshin. Save it for later, alright?"
"I'll try, Kaoru," Kenshin answered with a nervous grin.
***
Three days later, Kaoru sat on the porch of the dojo with a
small scold on her face. "Three days, I can't believe it, THREE DAYS!"
she said in a slightly irate tone. "I know you were good, Kenshin, but
no one should be able to learn an ENTIRE martial art style in three
days!" Her other two students were inside the dojo going through their
forms and Ayane was hanging the laundry. Kenshin, her lastest
graduate, sat next to her and served her some tea.
"If anything, think of it as a compliment to your instructing
ability," Kenshin replied with an easy-going smile. "Besides, I've
been practicing kenjutsu for 18 years, not to mention I witnessed you
instructing both Yahiko and Yutaro, thus I picked up on most of the
forms earlier,"
"If you explain it like that," Kaoru started to say, "I guess
its alright, but it still is weird,"
"No weirder than the normal events that happen here," Shinomori
Aoshi said as he walked into the courtyard with Misao. "Misao insisted
we come as soon as possible,"
"Yeah!" Misao chirped energetically as she hopped around, "We
couldn't wait to come and help! Hey, Aoshi-sama, we can be the 'go-
between', right?" Misao asked with an eager expression in her eyes.
"Its up to Kamiya and Himura," Aoshi responded, "although we
would be honored to serve as the 'go-between'. There is plenty of time
to make arrangements now that the Tonno Akutsa situation has been
resolved,"
"Hey, Kaoru," Ayane said as she looked at Aoshi and Misao
suspiciously, "who are these two ninja? The little girl's certainly
LOUD,"
"Loud?! LITTLE?!" Misao shouted as she grabbed a handful of
kunai. "I'll show you who's loud!" Aoshi grabbed Misao by her
ribbon-obi to hold her back. "Aoshi-sama, she called me loud! Let me
at that cat-girl!" Ayane's left eyebrow twitched.
"I'd rather be a cat than a weasel," Ayane retorted as she
grabbed her naginata.
"Calm down you two!" Kaoru shouted. "Now if you all will stay
here, you all will have to get along! That means NO FIGHTING! Ayane,
yes Aoshi and Misao are friends of mine. Misao, Aoshi, this is Ayane.
She helped with with the Tonno situation," Kaoru introduced the three
people. Ayane and Misao made it a point to avoid eye contact. "Now
if you want to be at my wedding ceremony, I want the two of you to at
least dress like girls,"
"Kaoru-san!" Misao objected, "I can't kick as well in a kimono!"
"It's a WEDDING, not a battlefield, Misao-chan," Kaoru
responded, "so I think kicking isn't going to be a priority. Ayane, do
you have a complaint as well?"
"Well, its just that I don't have anything like a woman's
kimono," Ayane said.
"Well," Kenshin said with a smile, "There's a first time for
everything,"
***
So begins the Wedding Arc! I picked the cat as Ayane's animal
because, I dunno, it seemed to fit ^_^x. Of course Kenshin would feel
the need to be the breadwinner, thus is why I think his choice to become
an instructor is well-warranted, even though he's keeping the strength
of the HMR a secret, he'd need something else to use in combat.
Who is this priest Hiko knows that is willing to perform a
ceremony for perhaps one of the biggest trouble-attracting couples of
manga-dom? Well, he's gonna be just as crazy as Hiko, in his own
little way.