**Pechan sincerely thanks anyone who's still reading the story at this point, and disclaims owning any Rurouni Kenshin stuff.

~ Sensei Tokio ~

"I really wish you'd stop making eyes with anyone you-"

"Hah! Making eyes!! Sounds like something mom would say."

Ryu frowned. Mina giggled, patting his shoulder, "Ah, lighten up. Say, how many welts you got?"

Ryu smirked, and pulled back his left sleeve, showing a net work of bruises. Mina winced, "Ooh, ouch!"

"Earlier I blocked a lot with my arm. That's going to cost me, I know it."

She flipped his ponytail, "Hey, got any in the back?"

"I counted three. How 'bout you?"

"Three. Oh, and two on my legs."

Ryu sighed, "Dammit, I forgot to check my legs."

Mina giggled, opening the heavy gate to their dojo, "Dork."

"Idiot."

"Moron."

"Sissy-"

"Hey, pipe down!" yelled their mother, Tokio, who was carrying a basket of laundry. "It's bad enough all the other students are whining."

Mina came over, and lifted the basket, "Hey mom!!"

"Hello, Mother."

She nodded, "Save the 'Mother' cr@p, you're going to clean the dojo if you got the most bruises, tough guy."

He sighed, rolling his eyes. Mina giggled. "Say, where's dad?"

"I sent him out for some tofu and other things. Come on!! Line up in the dojo! Everyone else already did."

So after Tokio set the basket of laundry down by the door, she followed her children into the dojo. There, fourteen students lined up, some touching their welts gingerly.

Tokio grinned, and announced, "Well now!! Did we all have fun?"

"Yes, Sensei Fujita," chorused the class. "No," mumbled the loser half.

She crossed her arms, "Good! Glad to see there are some winners. Alright kids, count 'em!!"

Murataku raised his hand, "Sensei Fujita!! Some guy punched me!! This black eye doesn't count, right?"

Tokio came over to him, "Hmmmm.......... Well, no, I guess it doesn't. But you should be more careful! I thought the whole purpose of learning this was to defend yourself. You should fail for the day!"

The class laughed at him, as his bruise got redder as he blushed.

Tokio waited a minute, and then shouted, "Alright! When I point to you, you give me the number of all your bruises. If I think your 'BS'ing, I get to whack you until you have enough bruises to clean the whole house. Got it?"

The class nodded. She grinned, "Good! Alright, starting with Suzuki, go!!"

"Eleven!"

"Seven!"

"Eleven!"

"Nine!!"

".... Sixteen!"

To which everyone laughed. Tokio chuckled, and continued down he line.

"Thirteen!!"

"Twelve!"

"Ten!"

"Eleven!"

"Six!"

"Seven!"

"Eight!"

"Fifteen!"

"Fourteen!!"

Mina grinned, raising her hand, "Seven!!"

Ryu grumbled. Tokio smiled, "Well, tough guy? What do you got.....?"

He looked back down at his arms, and sighed, "Nineteen."

Everyone gasped. Mina giggled, "It's because the dork likes to block with his forearms, mom."

Tokio uncrossed her arms, walking towards him, "Oh ho, I see. I'm the same way too, I'm much quicker on my arms, Ryu. But........" she quickly yanked a kendo stick from a student, and charged at him. Ryu struck away her stick, but she sidestepped and struck again. This time his arms came up, and blocked it. She grinned, "But if I was using a real sword, you'll just end up with one arm."

Ryu gulped, and nodded. Tokio turned to the class, "Don't' always expect your opponents to be carrying a kendo stick. Some people carry real swords everywhere they go, slicing up anything they see."

"Then why do we learn with kendo sticks, Sensei Fujita?"

She turned to him, "Good question. Because we don't want you all to become a bunch of idiotic murderers. In fact, if any of you ever even THINK of holding a real sword, I'll personally hang you form the gallows myself. Got it?"

They all nodded, answering, "Yes, Sensei Fujita."

Mina giggled, "Geez mom, like you think all of us are gonna go around looking for real swords the first chance we get. We're not stupid."

Ryu poked her, narrowing his eyes. Why can't she ever show respect for Mother?

Tokio crossed her arms, "I know none of you are stupid. Some of you may be misguided. And I would hate to see one of my student's faces on a wanted poster." She slowly, smiled, and turned to the other boys, bending her leg in a seductive pose, "And would any of you boys break my heart like that? People would brand me and my husband for training murderers!"

They immediately shook their heads, "No, Sensei Fujita!!"

She smiled walking away, "Good. Now, all of you get some sleep. Classes will begin on Monday again with your regular instructor after lunch. And he doesn't expect to see any of you losing your touch."

They bowed, "Yes, Sensei Fujita!"

She bowed in return, "Good night, boys. Have a nice weekend."

They filed out of the dojo, pairing up with their friends. Mina opened the door leading to the house, "I'll help fold the clothes, mom."

Ryu followed, rolling up his sleeves, "Me too-"

Tokio grabbed his elbow, "And just where do you think you're going? I told your dad he'd be coming home to a spotless dojo. And I meant it."

Ryu sighed, "But Moth-"

She put her finger to his lips, "Ah ah ah! Ryu, you know the rules. I can't slack on anyone. And besides, if you don't do it, I'd have to do it. And I gotta start the rice."

Ryu sighed, as she handed him a rag and a bucket of water. Mina turned, and grinned, "Hey, I'll help."

Tokio walked into the house, "Go ahead, knock yourself out. I think you can use a little discipline too. Get it into your head that I'm a sensei in class, not your mommy."

Here Tokio closed the door on her. Mina frowned, and then shrugged, "Fine fine, I'll call her Sensei, like everyone else." She watched her brother picking up a rag and getting to one side of the dojo. She grinned, picked up a rag, and started on the other side. He rolled up his sleeves and pants, got on all fours, and then darted across the floor. Mina did the same, and when they crossed each other, she giggled, "Maybe I should call her Sensei when we're eating dinner too, huh?"

Ryu reach the other end, and shot off again, "Don't do that, Mina. You'll just get her angry."

Mina crossed him again, "Oh, don't be dumb. Mom never get's mad with me." She banked off the wall, and raced to finish the floor before Ryu did. "Besides, that was pretty cool how mom showed you today!! Maybe now you'll stop blocking with your arms."

Ryu noticed she picked up the pace, and he smirked, racing across the floor, "Next time I'm gonna punch you."

She giggled, "Yeah right!! You couldn't beat me in a million years Ryu." She kicked off the wall, "Your grip of the sword isn't all that great."

He grunted, ricocheting off the wall. Mina laughed, since this was getting fun. He pressed the cloth harder, "My sword grip might suck, but I can hit better than you."

Mina wiped away a bead of sweat, then darted, "So? Like Mom says, you'll just get your arm cut off one of these days."

"Then I'll strike," he said, banking, "Before the opponent can."

"I could see you move before you execute the attack. You got nothing on me."

"I let you hit me, Mina."

"Says you!!"

"Because I don't hit girls!!"

She laughed, turning the corner, "What was that kendo beating today, then? A love tap?"

"I was, how do you say it?" he kicked off the wall, "I was pulling my punches."

She giggled, "Yeah right," she looked up, and found they were on the same track facing each other from opposite sides of the room, "Stop!!"

He stopped. "What now?"

"Let's play..." she grinned, and shot forward, in his way, "CHICKEN!!"

He smirked, and darted. Both raced to the middle, seeing who would veer off. Both were always trying to outdo the other, without hurting the other. And since the always did that, the end result was always-

KAA-BAAAMMM!!

They rammed head on into each other, and fell opposite sides. Mina laughed, holding her head, "You damn idiot! You're too hard headed, you almost gave me a concussion!!"

He wiped his forehead, "Errgg, then duck out of the way, moron!"

She smiled, then pounced on him, "When the hell did you get so strong, huh?!! You're supposed to be the wimpy brother!!"

He flipped her on her back, "Wimpy?"

She smiled, and tripped him. He grinned, and kicked, as she blocked it, "Wimpy it is!!" she laughed, kicking.

"Are you two done here?" called out their father suddenly. When'd he come in?

Ryu had his hands wrapped around her high kick, and she was left in kicking stance. After a minute, she smiled, and wiggled her toes at him, "Hi Daddy!!"

Goro Fujita frowned, opening the door wider. He stepped in. "What is this? I came expecting a clean dojo, and all I find are two slacking kids."

Ryu dropped her foot, "Ah, sorry Father. It was her idea."

Mina yelled, "Hey!! You were the one laughing all the way!!"

Goro looked at the floor, "Hmm, well, it is slightly cleaner than I left it."

"Cause I helped," piped Mina.

"Helped me get another bruise......." murmured Ryu.

She raised her fist to him, when Goro cut in, "That's enough. Come now; your mother has prepared dinner."

Mina skipped to her dad, and held his arm, "What did you do all day, Daddy?"

"Not much. Cut up some yakuza. Saved the day and whatnot."

She giggled, "We had fun today!!"

"Oh?"

Ryu sighed, and rolled down his sleeves. She was always the favorite. She was sociable, smart, pretty, athletic, and everybody loved her so freaking' much. He closed the door behind him, after he left the dojo. Should he feel sorry for himself that he wasn't?

He shook his head; what does it matter? No matter how much people like her, he could still beat her. He rubbed his arm, as it began to grow warm from the welts.

"Ryu! Quit spacing out, we're eating!!"

Ryu looked up to his twin sister, holding the door open for him. He nodded, and joined the rest of the family.