The Measure of a Man
Written by Jenna Muff. Based on the story Young Again by Fitz. 090003-??????
Disclaimer: Number one, I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, or any of the characters, places, or events therein. Number two, I don't own the original concept for this story; it belongs solely to Fitz-sama, who graciously granted permission for this little side story to be written. Domo arigatou, Fitz-sama!
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"Yahiko? Yahiko, wake up."
"Mmph…g'way…"
A small hand shook his shoulder. "Yahiko, please wake up. I need your help, that I do."
Yahiko groaned and cracked one eye open. "Kenshin, the sun isn't even up yet," he complained groggily.
There was a soft sigh, and then a more forceful round of shaking. "You can go back to sleep in a few minutes, that you can," Kenshin's voice said, his tone surprisingly firm for an eight-year-old. "If you want breakfast this morning, you will have to help me reach the shelves, that you will."
Yahiko's eyes popped open. "Ohhhh," he said with sudden comprehension. He rubbed at his eyes and yawned, then smirked at the tiny redhead kneeling by his futon. "I guess Sano's still a twerp, too, then?"
"I could ask Kaoru-dono to make breakfast, that I could," Kenshin remarked calmly.
Yahiko winced. "All right, all right. I'm up already."
The two boys padded down to the kitchen, where Kenshin had already assembled some of what he needed on one of the counters. Yahiko noticed that the miniature rurouni had to stand on a stack of boxes in order to reach said counter, but he held back his smart-ass remarks for fear of being subjected to the busu's cooking. No fair, Kenshin, Yahiko grumbled to himself as he reached up and retrieved the items Kenshin patiently requested. Using that poison against a guy…
"I think that is all I need for now," Kenshin said at last. He gave Yahiko a sunny smile, which the older boy could just barely make out in the pre-dawn gloom. "Thank you, Yahiko. You may go back to bed now, that you may."
"Yeah, sure," Yahiko muttered around a jaw-cracking yawn. He trudged back to his room and flopped down on the futon, sighing in happiness at the renewed comfort. He felt a lovely doze coming on, and before he knew it, he was snoring once more.
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"Hey, what the hell happened to the food? I thought Kenshin cooked!" Sanosuke grumbled around a mouthful of overcooked rice.
"I am sorry, that I am," Kenshin muttered, not looking up, "but it is difficult to properly cook when you are trying to keep your balance atop a pile of boxes, that it is."
"You shouldn't apologize, Kenshin," Kaoru stated, glaring at Sano. "Breakfast is wonderful. We should all be thanking you for making at least some kind of effort, unlike Yahiko over there!"
Yahiko gulped a little as the girl's glower turned on him. He supposed, with a twinge of guilt, that he really should have helped Kenshin more. But, for the sake of his pride as a Tokyo samurai, he met Kaoru's frown with an imperious sneer. "Hey, at least I know my limitations! Some people can cook, and some people," he gave Kaoru a pointed stare, "can't!" As her face reddened, he folded his arms and stuck his nose in the air. "At least I have the decency not to poison innocent hungry people!"
"Why, you ungrateful little brat!" Kaoru shrieked, flinging herself at her student-turned-caretaker, her tiny fists flying madly.
Kenshin watched from beneath his thick bangs as the morning dissolved into the usual chaos of shrieks and insults. He stifled a yawn and started collecting the dishes, trying to ignore the tired protests of his child's muscles. He'd noticed that, though he was still in very good shape, he simply didn't have the toned, corded musculature that his adult body had taken on over the years. I wonder if I can even use Hiten Mitsurugi anymore, he thought, hiding another yawn behind one hand and trying to ignore Kaoru's shrill voice and Yahiko's howls.
"You all right, Kenshin?" Sano asked.
Kenshin didn't look up. "I'm fine, that I am," he answered curtly. Usually, the clamor didn't irritate him so, but he found himself mentally grinding his teeth. Impatience churned in his stomach. His head was beginning to ache with a vengeance. Did Yahiko really have to taunt Kaoru-dono so? And did she have to respond with such piercingly indignant screeches? Maa, maa, damn it! he thought irritably.
Silence, deafening in and of itself, suddenly slammed into place. Kenshin froze, his lips slightly ajar, realizing too late that the others were gaping at him. By the Kami, had he just said that out loud?
"Um, Kenshin…" Yahiko said hesitantly, staring at the miniature rurouni with no small amount of shock. "Are you…all right?"
"Oro…" Kenshin slipped one small hand behind his head and nervously fiddled with his hair tie, trying to plaster a smile on his face. "I am sorry, that I am. I guess I am just distracted this morning, that's all." You're just a sleepy little boy, Himura-chan, a snide voice chided from the back of his mind. You need a nap, that you do.
"You look tired, Kenshin," Kaoru said, her small brows knitted with concern. "Here, let me and Sano do the dishes…"
"Hold on a second, Jou-chan, since when do I—?"
Kenshin's voice cut into Sano's protest. The little redhead's hands were raised in a negating gesture, and a smile was in place, as always. "No, it's all right," he said reassuringly. "I will do them. I'm fine, Kaoru-dono, that I am."
"Well, I guess I can do the laundry, since Kenshin can't reach the lines," Yahiko offered, still glancing warily at the swordsman, wondering what was really going on behind that smile.
"I'll scrub the dojo floor," Kaoru chimed in. "And later on, maybe we can all go to the Akabeko again and visit Tae-san!"
Yahiko groaned. "I don't think the Akabeko can handle the three of you again," he said. Then, he stopped, blinked, and frowned in confusion. "Wait a minute, I'm only seeing two of you. Where'd Sano go all of a sudden?"
Kaoru rolled her eyes. "Knowing him, he probably slipped out the moment we started talking about work to be done. Mou, the slacker!"
"He should not go too far without an adult, that he should not," Kenshin remarked, absentmindedly stacking the dishes.
"I'll go get him in a while," Yahiko said with a wave of one hand. "He'll be fine till I get the laundry done—uh, Kenshin, I think those are stacked too high for—!"
Crash!
"Oro!"
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Sagara Sanosuke grinned to himself and whistled, flicking the ends of his overly long bandanna back over his shoulder as he strolled down the street. He'd managed to sneak out of the dojo without being noticed—and without being snagged for housework, he congratulated himself. Well, Kenshin probably noticed me leaving, he amended. That guy never misses anything. Still, the rurouni hadn't said anything, for which Sano was extremely grateful. Cleaning just wasn't his thing. Eating, drinking, gambling, kicking ass—those he could do, no problem. But housework? "Not in this lifetime," he said aloud, a little annoyed at how high-pitched his voice was.
No. To be honest, he was a lot annoyed at how high-pitched his voice was. And at how short he was. And at the baggy, worn-out gi and hakama he'd had to borrow from Kaoru. The whole thing was getting on his damned nerves! Sano growled to himself, kicking up some dust and staring morosely at the borrowed tabi and sandals on his feet. Maybe I'll head over to Katsu's, he decided. Katsu would probably laugh his ass off at Sano's predicament, but at least he wouldn't try to make him tidy up around the place.
"Lost, little boy?" a gruff voice asked from behind.
Sano spun around. A tall, broadly built man loomed over him, dressed in a monk's robes and clutching a simple staff in one hand. His clean-shaven face was vaguely familiar, but Sano couldn't place him. "No," the miniature ex-street fighter answered warily. "Just walkin'."
The man smiled widely at the little boy, and leaned down a bit as though to inspect him more closely. "You're awfully small to be out walking by yourself, aren't you? Where are your parents? What's your name?"
Sano edged away, unnerved by the stranger's prying questions. His boyish face crumpled into a glower. Things that unnerved him also tended to piss him off. "None of your damned business," he shot back. "And I am not too small!"
"Such a mouth you've got!" the stranger chortled, stepping closer. "You know who you remind me of, little boy?"
"I don't care," Sano said, turning to leave. "Leave me alone, you—"
An enormous hand clamped onto his shoulder and yanked him back. Sanosuke found himself pinned against the stranger's enormous chest, his arms trapped at his sides, his small feet kicking uselessly at the air. He opened his mouth to holler, but the man's other hand pressed over his mouth and nose. It was hard to breathe, let alone shout.
"You look just like this street punk I hired a while back," the man's gruff voice rumbled over his head. "He was too damned cocky for his own good, and because of him, all of my plans fell through. The Battousai and that dojo bitch got away, again."
Sano's eyes widened in sudden recognition. Shit. Oh, shit! he thought frantically, thrashing against the thick arm that held him. He knows about us! He's going after Kenshin and Jou-chan!
The stranger, one Hiruma Gohei, cackled uproariously. "Oh, yes, Zanza," he chuckled, "you're all going to pay this time. You and the Battousai, and that bitch and her brat student—I don't know what the hell happened to you all, but from what I saw on the riverbank…" His grip tightened. "Nice and helpless, are we?"
Sano kicked and fought, trying with all his might to bite the cruel hand cutting off his air. His vision was beginning to blur, and his lungs were burning. Anger and worry for the others brought involuntary tears to his eyes. He blushed with shame. Quit crying like a damned baby! he berated himself, wrenching his small body about. He'd never felt so helpless before. It frightened him. It pissed him the hell off.
But most of all, he was scared to death for Kenshin and the others. Gohei would kill them all, if he caught them by surprise!
"You're all going to die, Zanza-chan," Gohei hissed gleefully, choking the breath out of his small prey, savoring the boy's weakening struggles. "Now, be quiet and go to sleep for a while. I need to make a few arrangements before I pay your dojo a visit."
No, damn it! Sano felt his body wilting in Gohei's brutal grip, felt the strength leaving his limbs. The world was going dark around him. His heart pounded in his chest, his lungs screamed for air, and his mouth gaped desperately against the salty palm clasped against his face. Kenshin…Jou-chan…Yahiko… Their faces flickered in his mind, and the last thing he heard before the blackness swallowed him was Gohei's harsh laughter in his ears.
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Shorter chapter this time, but at least we know who the Big Bad is now! Anyone at all surprised?
Oh, and I know that the Hiruma Gohei of the anime is totally different from the Gohei in the manga; I'm just choosing to use the anime-version because he suits the story's purposes. The dude just keeps popping up for revenge and crap! You'd think he'd take the hint and give up, already! ;)
If Kenshin seems a bit out of character, it's because he's a tired little kid, and tired little kids are moody. Of course, he has more self-control than a "real" little kid, but you know what I mean…
Thanks to all the reviewers! Sarah Lee1, Hecate, Wakadori Ramen, and tocole, thank you all so much! Hugs and chocolate all around! :D
Tune in next time! Things can only get worse, especially with animuffin at the helm! (evil snicker)
@Jen@
P.S. Again, to anyone who was reading Shoulders Fit to Bear Burdens, I intend to re-write that whole fic and post it later on, much improved and all that. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy my RK works! :)
P.P.S. Let's all take a moment to drool...I just love the phrase "corded musculature" when applied to Kenshin. It makes me salivate.