Kiriko vs. Kenji

At the dojo, Kano was having an intense battle with Kenji.

"HA! Little Kano hits like a girl," Kenji laughed as he kept blocking Kano's attacks.

"SHUT UP! YOU DIRT BAG BEFORE I STICK THIS BOKKEN WERE THE SUN DON'T SHINE!" Kano screamed as his face turned beet red with frustration.

"HA! You couldn't even hit me if I have my back towards you, while I'm bending over and looking at you between my legs. HAHAHAHA!" Kenji cackled, as Kano desperately tired to hit his annoy big brother.

"SHUT UUUUUUUUUPPPPPP!" Kano screamed as he rushed towards Kenji.

Kiriko heard this commotion going on as she jogged closer to the dojo. She peaked inside to see Kano swinging his bokken around like a madman on a rampage and Kenji laughing and blocking his attacks at the same time. Kiriko could see that her little bother wasn't concentrating because she saw several places on Kenji that were wide open.

Kenji finally decided to put his little brother out of his misery. He ducked under Kano's last swing then spun around behind his brother and whacked Kano on the back of the head.

"OK, ok Kano let's rest, I've won." Kenji chuckled as he wiped the tears from his eyes from laughing so hard.

"I WANT A REMATCH!" Kano yelled, "YOU CHEATED!"

Kenji started laughing again, "I did no such thing. I didn't kick you or throw dirt in your eyes. I'm just better than you are. Simple as that."

"NO! YOU CHEATED!" Kano barked.

Kenji just continued to laugh. "First of all there is no cheating in swordsmanship. Who ever are the strongest wins, simple as that. And little brother, you're just not strong enough. HAHAHA!" Annoyed by Kenji's arrogance, Kiriko step out from behind the door.

"I'd like to see you try that move on me, Kenji," Kiriko said with her head held high and her chest stuck out.

Kenji and Kano both became dead silent. After they realized who had spoke, they looked at each other then burst into a fit of laughter.

Kiriko narrowed her eyes at them.

"You think you can beat ME," Kenji hollered with laughter. "YOU….. Little Miss PRETTY PRINCESS! HAHAHAHAHA!" Kenji fell on the ground holding his stomach.

Kano picked up his bokken and pretended it was the handle of a parasol. He mimicked Kiriko high voice, "I'd like to see you try that on ME, OH but don't break my nails!" Kano fell on the floor with Kenji and they both screamed with laughter.

Kiriko stood there glaring at them with her fist clenched into tight balls. Kenji finally picked himself up off the floor and looked at his sister.

"Little spoiled princesses don't-." Kenji stopped laughing all at once when he saw the look in Kiriko's eyes. I think she's serious. He thought as he looked in her indigo eyes. Kenji stood there and stared at her for a minute What's making her eyes glow like that? He wondered. It's got to be the sun…Whatever it is she's scaring the hell out of me. Kiriko suddenly closed her eyes and inhaled deeply then she opened them again. Whatever Kenji saw in that quick second was gone.

He shook off the Goosebumps and continued his sentence, "As I was saying, little spoiled princesses, don't have the brains and skills to fight. Why don't you go dress up like you're supposed to and stop trying to be a guy? I hate to admit it but you're 'all right' looking but no man is gonna want atomboy like you. So go clean something and leave the man stuff for the men." He wave his hand at her like an old man trying to get some annoying children off his porch.

Kiriko smiled and fold her arms across her chest, " Oh…Well, I see you're scared of little tomboy, so I'll just leave you alone-"

"Scared! HA!" Kenji cut her off. " You wish! Come on little princess lets see what you got. You wanna be a man… FINE! I'm gonna beat your ass and you better not go crying to daddy about it!" Kenji barked.

"OK, I'll keep this little match between the three of us." Kiriko grinned.

Kano had stopped laughing at the same time his brother did. He had also seen that look in his sister's eyes and it scared him too.

"Kano may I please borrow your bokken?" Kiriko asked with a smile.

"NO! We'll both get in trouble if mom and dad see you fighting with MY bokken." Kano said with slight worry in his voice.

"It's all right Kano, I'll take the blame if we get caught. Ok?" She asked her little brother sweetly.

He sucked his teeth. "Oh…all right." He said as he handed it to her.

"Thank you."

As she stood in front of Kenji, she realized how much taller he was then their father. Kenji had a lean muscular frame and he stood at least six inches taller than Kenshin. Kiriko figured he got his height from their late grandfather. He had shiny dark brown-black hair that was cut short in the back with long bangs that covered his face. His eyes were blue like Kaoru's but were two shades lighter. Kenji definitely got his looks from their mother. Kiriko took another quick look at her little brother and smiled. Kano, on the other hand, didn't look like either one of their parents. He was tall for his age, standing an inch shorter than herself. He had chocolate brown hair that was cut the same way as Kenji but Kano was a little on the chubby side. The biggest difference with Kano and the rest of her family was his emerald green eyes. Sometimes Kiriko would look at him and wondered if her mother had been fooling around with the messenger or somebody. However, she would soon laugh at herself for thinking such a ridiculous thing because she knew her mother loved her father too much to do something like that.

"Are you ready little girl?" Kenji taunted making Kiriko snap out of her daydream.

"I'm ready, you butthead." Kiriko smiled.

"Don't worry Kano you'll get your bokken back real soon, this will only take a minute. I'm gonna show our dear sweet sister here that she can't compete in a man's world." Kenji snickered.

Kenji and Kiriko stood facing each other in the first fighting stance position. I'll go easy on her, Kenji thought inwardly smiling to himself. Kiriko attacked first, slashing toward his stomach. Kenji arched his back and sucked in his stomach, which made her miss by a hair. He quickly jumped and flipped over her head. When he landed facing her back, he went to strike her on the top of her head. This is too easy, he thought. But when he swung, she had disappeared. "What tha…" he said out loud. The next thing he knew, he was sliding across the dojo floor. He hit the wall hard with an "Oooomph…" When he looked up, Kiriko was standing in the same spot where they had started their fight.

Kano watched in amazement. Where did Kiriko learn this? He thought. Dad won't even let her watch us practice. How can she be so fast? I didn't even see her hit Kenji. Kano wondered with his mouth hanging open.

Kenji was wondering the same thing. Kiriko looked at her brother and smiled.

"So… am I ready to compete in a 'man's' world?" She asked with a big grin on her face.

"NO! That was just a lucky shot. I'm gonna slap that stupid grin right off your face! COME ON!" Kenji yelled as he was getting up. Don't go easy on her this time. He thought to himself.

"I'm ready when you are…brother." Kiriko narrowed her eyes.

Kenji prepared himself again and stood in front of her. Kiriko could read his emotions like a neon sign. Oh boy was he angry. She already knew what kind of an attack he was going to try to use on her. Kenji charged at her at full speed. I knew it! She thought as she jumped straight up in the air. She did a spiral flip over his head and landed behind him. Kenji spun around faster than she had expected and struck her upper arm hard. "Aaahhh!" Kiriko yelped as she staggered sideways. Thinking that he wounded her good, Kenji took this opportunity to try to hit her face. He thrusted his bokken at her nose but Kiriko did a double back flip just as the tip was about to connect. Frustrated, Kenji ran towards her then jumped high enough to touch the ceilings of the dojo. He turned his body downward in mid-air so that he could hit her with full force. Kiriko looked up and saw what he was about to do. Kenji smiled as he came down toward her. I GOT HER! All of a sudden, Kiriko jumped towards him with unbelievable speed. "HUH!" Kenji didn't expect this. Just as they were about to hit each other head on; Kiriko spun her body around swinging the bokken towards Kenji's chest. Thinking fast, Kenji managed to get his bokken between hers and his body. The cracking sound from the bokkens made Kano's ears ring. Kenji and Kiriko landed at the same time. Both of them were breathing heavily. Kenji glared at his sister. How in the world can she be that fast?

"Have you had enough, Kenji?" Kiriko said as she lowered the bokken.

"Are you kidding? I'm just warming up." Kenji growled in a deep menacing voice.

Kiriko readied herself again. Kenji ran towards her when…..

"KENJI! KIRIKO! KANO! Are you in there?" Kenshin called out as he walked towards the dojo.

Kenji and Kiriko stopped dead in their tracks when they heard their father's voice.

"I guess we better call this a draw," Kiriko said as she tossed the bokken back to Kano.

"Yeah I guess so, but this is far from over little sister." Kenji grumbled as the three of them walked out of the dojo together.