Kaoru was slightly annoyed as she watched Enishi leave that morning to go to his work. She never really got a chance to talk to him, despite the fact that the time he was there was equal to the time he was gone. She found it disconcerting that it was easy to live with someone and not even give them much more than the time of day or a greeting.

Then when she thought about it, it wasn't all that strange. How many times had she talked to Kenshin after all… Well that was different. Silence with him was more of a companionable kind. She often didn't want to say anything to spoil it anyhow.

Enishi, well, every time he sat there detached, she wanted to say something. It was more of a stark sharp silence. Not one she was used to. She wondered if he wanted to say something himself, but they were never really alone in a room.

'Now why would that matter" Kaoru frowned at herself as Enishi faded out of view down the path. She didn't like the track her mind was going down. She wasn't sure she wanted to be alone with him, who knows what she'd do. She didn't have an excuse to stay away from him this time like she did before when he was a 'crazy kidnapper'.

When did one talk a lot to other people, Kaoru thought to herself, changing the subject. Now that she thought of it, Talking wasn't really one did much, except perhaps as a child, but that was mostly one sided.

She guessed her world was just full of 'doers' rather than chatty people, which was good. The only people who talk much that she'd met were well… Tai. She giggled to herself at that. It was fun talking to her because she had the most outrageous ideas about things and Kaoru couldn't help but laugh.

"Ah excuse me" a small voice said, croaking from the changes puberty was causing. She looked down to find a boy about Yahiko's size, but undoubtedly a year or two older. Kaoru smiled to herself, thinking of how fun it would be to make fun of Yahiko when his voice started cracking.

"Yes?" she said to him, noticing also, a tall old man standing at the entrance to the dojo, waiting for the boy likely.

"Uhm, where's the master of this dojo?" He asked nervously, glancing about as if to look for anyone but her.

"You're looking at her" Kaoru said with a proud grin. The boy frowned at her, and opened his mouth as if to say something, when he thought better of it and closed it, looking over to the man with him.

"Hold on a second" he said as he rushed over to the older man. Kaoru took the opportunity to eye the geezer, who actually looked rather dignified in crisp, clean new clothes, although he was slightly hunched over with age, he was still rather tall.

He was thin and sticklike, but other than the cane that he supported himself with, he looked as strong as an ox. There was something about the gleam in his eyes that Kaoru didn't like.

The boy, who was dressed well, although not at well as the old man, had obviously finished relaying whatever he had needed to, because the man approached her just then, the boy following with a sullen accusing look in his eyes.

"My boy here says you wouldn't direct him to the master of the dojo." He said in a quiet but firm voice. Kaoru could feel her eye twitch as she glanced down at the boy.

"Well he must be deaf then, because I'm sure I informed him that I am the master at this dojo." She said, having a hard time holding her anger back. The man raised his eyebrow, as he seemed to rake his gaze across her.

"Ah, well is that so" he said more as a statement than a question. "He's a bit of a troublemaker. But he heard about this dojo from other students of yours. I'd appreciate it if you took on the challenge of accepting him as a student." Kaoru narrowed her eyes at the boy.

"I suppose I could give it a try" she said her mouth almost twitching into a smile against her better judgement. There was something about troublemakers that made things more interesting for a while.

"That's good then, I don't need him loitering about doing nothing. I have enough children to take care of as it is" He said sternly, as if he was talking more to the boy than her. The boy stared at the ground.

"How many children do you have?" Kaoru asked curiously, suspecting he was way to old to be having many of his own, excpecially any younger than this boy here.

"I run an orphanage" he said matter of factly. Kaoru's eyes widened,

"Oh" then she nodded at him "Well send any others my way, I'll be happy to take any of the willing out of your hands during the day anyhow." The man noded to her and abruptly left,. Kaoru would have thought it rude if she didn't know any better.

As soon as he was out of earshot, the boy glared at her and made a matter of fact announcement to her.

"I don't think you can teach me anything, girls are useless and lazy." He said loudly. "Now where's the real master" Kaoru raised her eyebrow at him.

"You sound like Yahiko" she said.

"Hey I just think kenshin could teach me more" Yahiko said coming out from around the corner "I don't got anything against girls."

"Have you been eavesdroping?" Kaoru asked accusatorily. Yahiko raised his eyebrow at her insolently.

"Hey I just overheard a sentence or two as I was walking by, it was almost impossible not to hear this little brat practically yelling." Kaoru had a hard time resisting laughter and keeping the serious look on her face. The 'brat' turned red at that.

"Hey I'm no smaller than you" he said, his voice cracking, gaining a snicker from kaoru that she couldn't hold back. He glared at her.

"No but you should be, you're older than I am" Yahiko said with a grin. He hadn't had anyone to argue with besides kaoru for a while now, it had been getting a little boring… well since everyone had been too busy watching Enishi for any suspicious acts.

The boy was almost sputtering, Kaoru noticed as his unusually light brown hair fell messily over his angry eyes. She grinned, this would indeed be fun.

"Well then what's your name boy, and then we'll go see about someone else teaching you" she said with a mischevious gleam to her eye that he obviously didn't see, as he calmed down from that point.

"Jineh" he said quietly, Kaoru almost choked.

"Jineh you say huh?" Yahiko grinned at Kaoru. Kaoru rolled her eyes at him and turned around to walk inside.

"Well Jin," Kaoru said shortening his name. "You'll have to wait a while before meeting your new master." Kaoru almost couldn't breathe, it was so hard to keep the laughter back. Yahiko gave her a look that asked what she was up to, but Kaoru ignored it, just smiling. Jin nodded at her seriously, not at all suspecting that she might be doing something unusual. Kaoru led him out to the back where Kenshin was and turned to him.

"Until then, you can help Kenshin do the laundry." She said.

"That's women's work" Jin growled. His voice was rather deep when he wasn't croaking. Kaoru raised an eyebrow at him.

"Despite his girlish looks, Kenshin is not one, and I doubt you want to insult him."

"Orooo?" Kenshin said, just looking up, his mind had been elsewhere… still thinking about what sano said actually. Jin looked at him, his eyes wide, as if he just realised Kenshin was not, in fact, a girl.

"Ah… ah, Gomen" Jin said sheepishly. Kenshin smiled goofily at him and told him not to worry about it… wait… Kaoru thought he looked girlish? He looked up to see she had already left Jin behind.

"What are you up to Kaoru!" Yahiko hissed at her "You aren't thinking of telling Kenshin to teach him are you? He wouldn't do it anyhow." Kaoru shook her head and smiled.

"Just sit tight and watch" Kaoru whispered back "Even I can scheme things"

Sano sighed to himself as he walked down the back streets and alleyways, looking for something to do away from the dojo. He would have gone to the Akabeko but then he'd have to walk by Enishi, he was loath to even get near that man. He was just wandering off in thought as well as in fact when a hiccup followed by a quiet sob just barely reached him.

It came from behind that crate over there. He wandered over to investigate, and he saw a small dirty foot sticking out barely from the other side. He peered over the crate to see a blond head of braids huddled over her knees, shaking.

He walked around the crate and squatted in front of her, muttering the first words that came to mind.

"What's wrong Jo-chan?" he said soothingly. She almost jolted through the wall behind her, she was so startled. Aneka looked up at the man who had appeared before her, but only one thing came to mind 'He has nice hair' she thought to herself as she stared at him. Finally after a minute a stream of words came spouting out.

Sano stared wide eyed at her as all sorts of gibberish came spouting out of her mouth. He caught a few words like 'Sakamura-san' and 'broken' but that was all he could understand. He stared at her in silence as she finished. Finally her eyes widened.

"Ah! I'm sorry! Sometimes when I'm upset I talk in English." She said sheepishly.

"So that's what it sounds like" Sano mumbled to himself as he scratched the back of his head with his hand. "You ganna repeat that?" he asked. Aneka shook her head vehemently

"Uh-uh, it's not important anyhow." She said matter-of factly, she didn't like to complain to anyone, and it would no doubt just gain her more of a beating. Sano eyed her strangely as he nodded slightly

"Well if your sure…." He trailed off as he stood, helping her up with him, but he clenched his jaw as he got a glimpse of an unsightly bruise on her leg. "I suppose you tripped?" Sano said with a raised eyebrow, he'd met many women that refused to admit someone was beating them, and while they were usually older than him and married, he should at least be able to do something in this case.

Aneka turned a bright red when he said that, and straitened her clothes. There was no denying it now, she could tell he already knew, if not the details.

"Ah.. I guess not" she said sheepishly. "You've heard that excuse before.." she accused, smiling at him halfheartedly. Sano nodded at her waiting for her to go on.

"It's no big deal" she said looking away. Sano gripped her by the shoulders as she said that, shaking her soundly once until she looked at him again.

"It is too a big deal. I'm sick of you women just putting up with crap like that!" he said almost yelling at her. When she winced he relaxed his grip a bit but didn't let go. "I'd almost feel like beating you senseless for accepting it, but I'm sure you get enough of that as it is." He murmured. Aneka couldn't help but snort in an unsightly laugh when she failed to hold it back. Sano eyed her funny, and then continued to stare at her as if trying to read her eyes. Aneka almost wanted to squint them shut, but she kept staring right back anyway.

"Alright" sano said as if deciding something finally. "I'm keeping you under my thumb until you deem to tell me what happened, how often and why." Aneka could only stare at him with wide eyes as he went on. "Come on lets go, I haven't got all day to sit around here doing nothing" he started to lead her off.

"Why" Aneka said.

"Because if I'm going to be sitting around, I'd rather be sitting around gambling with my buddies. You'll like them… do you like gambling?" Sano asked, and then thinking better of the question turned back to the road leading her behind him by the wrist "Well no matter because you're coming anyway."

Aneka stared blankly at his back as he led her towards, well wherever his buddies were she supposed. He hadn't answered her question right, she wanted to know why he was even bothering with her, but she didn't think it was the right time to ask… if there ever would be a right time to ask.

Hell… she didn't even know his name.