Chapter 3
Kaoru stood in the kitchen waiting for her tea to boil. She looked out the window at the gray sky smiling weakly at the symbolic irony. Yahiko was scurrying about the yard playing some game he had just made up using a rock and a piece of wood….It's going to start to rain soon I'll call him inside in a few minutes… He is so young and full of life, I wonder if he fully understands what has happened…. She thought to herself sadly. Oddly, Yahiko hadn't shown any interest in what had happened to their beloved Kenshin.
Sano trotted up to the front gate hoping he could get inside and beat the rain. He quietly slid a kami screen open went to his room.
It started to sprinkle outside, Yahiko groaned and stopped batting his rock around. He had been trudging around the yard for hours slapping a little rock with piece of wood while he tried to think of some way to confront Kaoru about Sano's odd behavior…I know he did it…He mumbled under his breath as he tossed the piece of wood at a bush and made his way to the kitchen. Yahiko paused outside the kitchen's door, he strained his ears to make sure Sano wasn't around. After a few seconds he pushed the door open and approached Kaoru.
"Kaoru?" he asked nervously, "C-can I ask you a question a-about Sano" the little boy stammered as he looked over his shoulder.
"Why, of course you can Yahiko, what do you want to ask?" Kaoru said a little worried.
"Well…do you.. do you think he…" Yahiko trailed off, his eyes turning into big white saucers as he started to tremble.
"Yahiko, what's wrong?" Kaoru asked now really worried.
"Sano" Yahiko whispered as he pointed towards the doorway where the big man stood.
"What?" Kaoru asked as she turned to where the little boy pointed "Oh, Sano! Good, you got home before the rain started. You have perfect timing, we were just talking about you. Yahiko, now you can ask Sano what you were going to ask me" She said cheerfully. She turned away to pour her tea into a small white cup .
"What's going on Yahiko?" Sano asked in a serious tone, as he glared at the boy. "Let's go into the sitting room where we can talk." he said kindly as he motioned towards the hall. Yahiko didn't budge, his feet were glued to the floor with terror. Sano moved towards the little boy and picked him up playfully "Come on Yahiko, we'll have a man to man chat" Sano sneered as he dragged the boy into the sitting room.
Sano closed the door to the sitting room quietly still holding Yahiko in one arm. "What are you trying to do runt?" Sano asked as he dropped the boy on the floor. When Yahiko didn't answer, Sano gripped his arm demanding a reply.
"OWW!" Yahiko cried.
"You think that hurts?" Sano smirked as he squeezed even harder "It will hurt a whole lot more if you don't stop crying!" he threatened. Yahiko stopped his tears, but couldn't suppress the whimpers that came out of his throat occasionally.
"I don't know what you are trying to do, but I don't like it. You better watch what you say around Kaoru. She and I don't like you at all. The only reason we have kept you here so long is because she promised Kenshin that she would. But now that Kenshin is gone she doesn't have to be responsible for you. She and I are just looking for an excuse to get rid of you forever. So you had better stay out of our way!" Sano snarled, his face was only an inch or two from Yahiko's. As Sano said this a single tear rolled down the boys face.
"That's not true" the little boy whispered. "Kaoru loves me like her little brother, she would never want to get rid of me! She loves me!" Yahiko shouted angrily although his voice was painfully hoarse.
"That's what you think!" Sano laughed at the boy's despair... Stupid little brat! He believes me! Baka!… Sano thought to himself gleefully.
"Now get out of here before I really get mad!" Sano hissed as he pushed Yahiko roughly across the room. Yahiko fell on his back and let out a squeal.
"Sano?" Kaoru's voice called from the kitchen, "What was that sound?"
"Oh nothing, Yahiko just tripped over my foot, that's all." Sano said with that evil grin still on his face. Yahiko got up quickly and ran outside into the pouring rain…That should take care of him… Sano thought to himself as he walked back to the kitchen to be with Kaoru.
Kaoru stood in the kitchen waiting for her tea to boil. She looked out the window at the gray sky smiling weakly at the symbolic irony. Yahiko was scurrying about the yard playing some game he had just made up using a rock and a piece of wood….It's going to start to rain soon I'll call him inside in a few minutes… He is so young and full of life, I wonder if he fully understands what has happened…. She thought to herself sadly. Oddly, Yahiko hadn't shown any interest in what had happened to their beloved Kenshin.
Sano trotted up to the front gate hoping he could get inside and beat the rain. He quietly slid a kami screen open went to his room.
It started to sprinkle outside, Yahiko groaned and stopped batting his rock around. He had been trudging around the yard for hours slapping a little rock with piece of wood while he tried to think of some way to confront Kaoru about Sano's odd behavior…I know he did it…He mumbled under his breath as he tossed the piece of wood at a bush and made his way to the kitchen. Yahiko paused outside the kitchen's door, he strained his ears to make sure Sano wasn't around. After a few seconds he pushed the door open and approached Kaoru.
"Kaoru?" he asked nervously, "C-can I ask you a question a-about Sano" the little boy stammered as he looked over his shoulder.
"Why, of course you can Yahiko, what do you want to ask?" Kaoru said a little worried.
"Well…do you.. do you think he…" Yahiko trailed off, his eyes turning into big white saucers as he started to tremble.
"Yahiko, what's wrong?" Kaoru asked now really worried.
"Sano" Yahiko whispered as he pointed towards the doorway where the big man stood.
"What?" Kaoru asked as she turned to where the little boy pointed "Oh, Sano! Good, you got home before the rain started. You have perfect timing, we were just talking about you. Yahiko, now you can ask Sano what you were going to ask me" She said cheerfully. She turned away to pour her tea into a small white cup .
"What's going on Yahiko?" Sano asked in a serious tone, as he glared at the boy. "Let's go into the sitting room where we can talk." he said kindly as he motioned towards the hall. Yahiko didn't budge, his feet were glued to the floor with terror. Sano moved towards the little boy and picked him up playfully "Come on Yahiko, we'll have a man to man chat" Sano sneered as he dragged the boy into the sitting room.
Sano closed the door to the sitting room quietly still holding Yahiko in one arm. "What are you trying to do runt?" Sano asked as he dropped the boy on the floor. When Yahiko didn't answer, Sano gripped his arm demanding a reply.
"OWW!" Yahiko cried.
"You think that hurts?" Sano smirked as he squeezed even harder "It will hurt a whole lot more if you don't stop crying!" he threatened. Yahiko stopped his tears, but couldn't suppress the whimpers that came out of his throat occasionally.
"I don't know what you are trying to do, but I don't like it. You better watch what you say around Kaoru. She and I don't like you at all. The only reason we have kept you here so long is because she promised Kenshin that she would. But now that Kenshin is gone she doesn't have to be responsible for you. She and I are just looking for an excuse to get rid of you forever. So you had better stay out of our way!" Sano snarled, his face was only an inch or two from Yahiko's. As Sano said this a single tear rolled down the boys face.
"That's not true" the little boy whispered. "Kaoru loves me like her little brother, she would never want to get rid of me! She loves me!" Yahiko shouted angrily although his voice was painfully hoarse.
"That's what you think!" Sano laughed at the boy's despair... Stupid little brat! He believes me! Baka!… Sano thought to himself gleefully.
"Now get out of here before I really get mad!" Sano hissed as he pushed Yahiko roughly across the room. Yahiko fell on his back and let out a squeal.
"Sano?" Kaoru's voice called from the kitchen, "What was that sound?"
"Oh nothing, Yahiko just tripped over my foot, that's all." Sano said with that evil grin still on his face. Yahiko got up quickly and ran outside into the pouring rain…That should take care of him… Sano thought to himself as he walked back to the kitchen to be with Kaoru.