The Quest
Kenshin decided to start searching next day. Kaoru was very suspicious about the lady that had given the quest but gave in when saw Kenshin's excitement. The reward - which had not been actually revealed - filled Kenshin with energy. It was impossible to restrain him.
Next morning Kenshin woke up early. He couldn't wait but left for a walk in the city, glancing around for the yellow papers. He thought about the lady. She had not told anything about herself - not her likings, her occupation, not even her name - there was no clues for Kenshin. But her kimono seemed very fine, she was probably wealthy. That could do a little help.
He wandered around the city listening to the sounds of people, birds and trees. It was a beautiful day like it had been before too, but this day was even prettier - this was a beginning of an adventure. After some time Kenshin thought he'd never find the papers by just roaming from street to street. He peeked under stones and stumps, behind houses and stores, between branches and bushes - inconclusively. He returned to Kamiya school a little disappointed, but even eagerer of his mission.
"Himura Kenshin!" cried Kaoru as he appeared. "And where have you been all day? Have you got any idea what time is? You silly man, you've got work to do!"
"Exactly", Kenshin said calmly smiling. "I must find those yellow papers. And that's what I've been doing."
Kaoru sighed.
"Well", she said. "Any luck?"
"Not yet", Kenshin said and went inside to prepare dinner.
After a delicious (honestly) meal Kenshin went out to town again. The mysterious lady had resembeled him of geishas. Her face just wasn't masked. Kenshin went to an area with lots of geisha houses, but even if he looked carefully, there was no sign of the yellow papers. After another hour of vain searching, Kenshin was tired and decided to go rest to a peaceful lake. He liked it there very much.
As he sat on the coast listening to the song of nature he suddenly saw something. Within the reeds in the water there was something yellow. Kenshin couldn't believe his eyes as he picked it up and found it a paper.
"This is one of them!" he shouted. The paper seemed to be a half of a bigger one. On the teared margin he saw lines that could be parts of kanji. So he had to get them both to find out where he had to travel.
"Could it be just a coincidence it was hidden here?" Kenshin wondered. He looked around. "That lady seems to know a lot about me. Perhaps..."
When he got to Kamiya school Kaoru was surprised to see him so happy.
"What's up with you, Kenshin?" she asked. "You look like you've just found out you've won the lottery."
"I found one!" Kenshin cried with joy. "I found one of the papers! Only one left!"
Kaoru's eyes were about to drop as he saw the paper Kenshin held. It was just like the paper the lady had showed them, except for the lines on the margin.
"Can't believe it", she said dully. "How did you find it?"
"By accident. I was resting after searching and I just happened to find it."
"Hey, is that what I think it is?" shouted Yahiko who was just running by. He and Sanosuke had heard the story of the lady from Kaoru the last evening.
"Yes, it's one of the hidden papers", Kenshin answered. His eyes were shining. "I must hurry to find the other one too!"
"What are these lines here?" Yahiko asked looking at the paper.
"I'm not sure, but I think they're parts of kanji", Kenshin said. "The other half has the rest, and I have to find it to read the message. This is so exciting!"
Kaoru sighed and looked at the joyful couple scratching her head.
"They're both little kids."
Soon Sanosuke also heard the good news and joined their dance. Kaoru would've probably gone mad if her students wouldn't have taken Kenshin away to play with them.
Next morning Kenshin woke up before anyone else again. He was so excited of the paper he put it into his pocket and left to look for the second one. But this time he didn't wander destinationless, but stopped under a tree to think. After making few decisions he went to a park with lots of cherry trees. He often sat under them when they bloomed enjoying the sun. Kenshin looked from above and beneath every tree but didn't find the paper. He wasn't, however, disappointed, but headed to the next stage; a big rock he liked to sat on. He couldn't find what he was looking for from there either, but didn't give up.
But after four dead ends he felt tired and returned to Kamiya school.
"Kenshin!" called Yahiko as he saw Kenshin coming. "Did you find the second slip?"
"No", answered the man, sighing. "I thought I had got the catch but I guess I was wrong..."
Kaoru noticed his return and called him in.
"Here, have some tea", she offered. "You must be exhausted. When did you leave?"
"Around sunrise", Kenshin said and took a gulp of his tea.
"That early? You were away looking for that piece of paper for two hours!" Kaoru fussed and poured more tea even if Kenshin hadn't finished his first cup. "Why don't you take us with you? It would be much easier if there were more people."
"No", Kenshin shook his head smiling. "This is my quest. I must solve it."
"Selfish", Kaoru sighed. "If you think so, it's okay. But don't burn yourself out."
"I won't", Kenshin said. "Thank you, Kaoru-dono. I really like it with you."
A gentle flush appeared on Kaoru's face. She quickly gulped her tea.
"Well, the weathers have been good, haven't they?" she said, changing the subject.
"Ha ha, they sure ha-"
Kenshin's talking suddenly got cut off. He stared at Kaoru with his eyes wide open.
"I got it!"
He stood up and ran out of the room. Kaoru looked after him very confused, not able to even ask what had he got. Sanosuke and Yahiko walked just in and were surprised to find Kaoru completely speachless staring at the door.
"What's wrong, Kaoru-san?" Sanosuke asked. Kaoru turned her head to him and looked like she could be knocked down with a feather. Before she could answer, Kenshin returned holding two yellow papers.
"I found it!" he crowed with delight. "I was right! I found it!"
Yahiko and Sanosuke went mad and congratulated him right away, but Kaoru still sat with the tea cup on her lap. Kenshin noticed her and went to her.
"I'm sorry, Kaoru-dono", he said. "I just got so excited I couldn't think of anything else. When I found the first paper, I thought they both could be hidden in a place I liked. When I said I liked it with you I realized it could be here... And I was right! I found it!"
Kaoru got her faculty of speech back and smiled.
"That was very smart of you, Kenshin. Now put the papers together and we'll see what's written on it!"
Kenshin put the slips on the floor side by side and read the writing that had now become complete.
Kenshin no shishou
As soon as he had read the words his smile faded away and he blanched. His eyes extended even more, but not with joy, more like terror. Yahiko, Kaoru and Sanosuke were puzzled. Kenshin's mind felt narrow. Only one thing fit there.
Hiko Seijuro
-end of chapter two-
Author: I'm so sorry, I spelled Kyoto wrong in the summary! I wrote it the way it's written here where I live... Gomen kudasai, minna-san! But I hope you liked this chapter, this is only the beginning!
- I don't know what they're called!
Kenshin decided to start searching next day. Kaoru was very suspicious about the lady that had given the quest but gave in when saw Kenshin's excitement. The reward - which had not been actually revealed - filled Kenshin with energy. It was impossible to restrain him.
Next morning Kenshin woke up early. He couldn't wait but left for a walk in the city, glancing around for the yellow papers. He thought about the lady. She had not told anything about herself - not her likings, her occupation, not even her name - there was no clues for Kenshin. But her kimono seemed very fine, she was probably wealthy. That could do a little help.
He wandered around the city listening to the sounds of people, birds and trees. It was a beautiful day like it had been before too, but this day was even prettier - this was a beginning of an adventure. After some time Kenshin thought he'd never find the papers by just roaming from street to street. He peeked under stones and stumps, behind houses and stores, between branches and bushes - inconclusively. He returned to Kamiya school a little disappointed, but even eagerer of his mission.
"Himura Kenshin!" cried Kaoru as he appeared. "And where have you been all day? Have you got any idea what time is? You silly man, you've got work to do!"
"Exactly", Kenshin said calmly smiling. "I must find those yellow papers. And that's what I've been doing."
Kaoru sighed.
"Well", she said. "Any luck?"
"Not yet", Kenshin said and went inside to prepare dinner.
After a delicious (honestly) meal Kenshin went out to town again. The mysterious lady had resembeled him of geishas. Her face just wasn't masked. Kenshin went to an area with lots of geisha houses, but even if he looked carefully, there was no sign of the yellow papers. After another hour of vain searching, Kenshin was tired and decided to go rest to a peaceful lake. He liked it there very much.
As he sat on the coast listening to the song of nature he suddenly saw something. Within the reeds in the water there was something yellow. Kenshin couldn't believe his eyes as he picked it up and found it a paper.
"This is one of them!" he shouted. The paper seemed to be a half of a bigger one. On the teared margin he saw lines that could be parts of kanji. So he had to get them both to find out where he had to travel.
"Could it be just a coincidence it was hidden here?" Kenshin wondered. He looked around. "That lady seems to know a lot about me. Perhaps..."
When he got to Kamiya school Kaoru was surprised to see him so happy.
"What's up with you, Kenshin?" she asked. "You look like you've just found out you've won the lottery."
"I found one!" Kenshin cried with joy. "I found one of the papers! Only one left!"
Kaoru's eyes were about to drop as he saw the paper Kenshin held. It was just like the paper the lady had showed them, except for the lines on the margin.
"Can't believe it", she said dully. "How did you find it?"
"By accident. I was resting after searching and I just happened to find it."
"Hey, is that what I think it is?" shouted Yahiko who was just running by. He and Sanosuke had heard the story of the lady from Kaoru the last evening.
"Yes, it's one of the hidden papers", Kenshin answered. His eyes were shining. "I must hurry to find the other one too!"
"What are these lines here?" Yahiko asked looking at the paper.
"I'm not sure, but I think they're parts of kanji", Kenshin said. "The other half has the rest, and I have to find it to read the message. This is so exciting!"
Kaoru sighed and looked at the joyful couple scratching her head.
"They're both little kids."
Soon Sanosuke also heard the good news and joined their dance. Kaoru would've probably gone mad if her students wouldn't have taken Kenshin away to play with them.
Next morning Kenshin woke up before anyone else again. He was so excited of the paper he put it into his pocket and left to look for the second one. But this time he didn't wander destinationless, but stopped under a tree to think. After making few decisions he went to a park with lots of cherry trees. He often sat under them when they bloomed enjoying the sun. Kenshin looked from above and beneath every tree but didn't find the paper. He wasn't, however, disappointed, but headed to the next stage; a big rock he liked to sat on. He couldn't find what he was looking for from there either, but didn't give up.
But after four dead ends he felt tired and returned to Kamiya school.
"Kenshin!" called Yahiko as he saw Kenshin coming. "Did you find the second slip?"
"No", answered the man, sighing. "I thought I had got the catch but I guess I was wrong..."
Kaoru noticed his return and called him in.
"Here, have some tea", she offered. "You must be exhausted. When did you leave?"
"Around sunrise", Kenshin said and took a gulp of his tea.
"That early? You were away looking for that piece of paper for two hours!" Kaoru fussed and poured more tea even if Kenshin hadn't finished his first cup. "Why don't you take us with you? It would be much easier if there were more people."
"No", Kenshin shook his head smiling. "This is my quest. I must solve it."
"Selfish", Kaoru sighed. "If you think so, it's okay. But don't burn yourself out."
"I won't", Kenshin said. "Thank you, Kaoru-dono. I really like it with you."
A gentle flush appeared on Kaoru's face. She quickly gulped her tea.
"Well, the weathers have been good, haven't they?" she said, changing the subject.
"Ha ha, they sure ha-"
Kenshin's talking suddenly got cut off. He stared at Kaoru with his eyes wide open.
"I got it!"
He stood up and ran out of the room. Kaoru looked after him very confused, not able to even ask what had he got. Sanosuke and Yahiko walked just in and were surprised to find Kaoru completely speachless staring at the door.
"What's wrong, Kaoru-san?" Sanosuke asked. Kaoru turned her head to him and looked like she could be knocked down with a feather. Before she could answer, Kenshin returned holding two yellow papers.
"I found it!" he crowed with delight. "I was right! I found it!"
Yahiko and Sanosuke went mad and congratulated him right away, but Kaoru still sat with the tea cup on her lap. Kenshin noticed her and went to her.
"I'm sorry, Kaoru-dono", he said. "I just got so excited I couldn't think of anything else. When I found the first paper, I thought they both could be hidden in a place I liked. When I said I liked it with you I realized it could be here... And I was right! I found it!"
Kaoru got her faculty of speech back and smiled.
"That was very smart of you, Kenshin. Now put the papers together and we'll see what's written on it!"
Kenshin put the slips on the floor side by side and read the writing that had now become complete.
Kenshin no shishou
As soon as he had read the words his smile faded away and he blanched. His eyes extended even more, but not with joy, more like terror. Yahiko, Kaoru and Sanosuke were puzzled. Kenshin's mind felt narrow. Only one thing fit there.
Hiko Seijuro
-end of chapter two-
Author: I'm so sorry, I spelled Kyoto wrong in the summary! I wrote it the way it's written here where I live... Gomen kudasai, minna-san! But I hope you liked this chapter, this is only the beginning!
- I don't know what they're called!