Review Comments: Arigatou Gi-chan! I'm always making mistakes.^_^x heh.
Silly me! Oh well! I laughed when I read your review! You were so funny
when you were like, "Hey I can say that!" ~*giggle*~ You're soooo fun! I'm
glad you like Keito-chan's Adventures in Japan! ~*smile*~ When I gave you
my yellow notebook, I was sooooooo lost! I was like "Ah! I can't write! So.
lonely." ~*giggle*~ I love, love, love your Kyou/Kazuma fic! So kawaii! And
right now, spell check is driving me insane. Abayo til next time! Major
japanenglish!!!! Haha! Oh and Paradise Kiss. OMG!!!!! I love it sooooooo
much! I can't wait until the next book! It's like Chobits all over again!
Heh! Dai-chan, arigatou! I'm glad that you liked Keito-chan's Adventures in
Japan! It's so fun! I love writing it too! You're gonna like the next
couple of chapters!!!! Heh heh! Not like you haven't. never mind! Ja ne!
Expel, arigatou for reviewing me! I will try to put more romance in my
story but don't worry, by the end of chapter 5 I think all my readers will
want to kill me! ~*ducks as chair is thrown*~ ~*smile*~ Abayo! Namiko-
Daughter of Sekhmet arigatou! I'm so glad that you like my story! Oh I just
wanted to tell you that I'm not really going to Japan. It's just a little
skit that I came up with. You'll see why by the end of the next couple of
chapters. But trust me, I'm in the same boat as you! I want to go to Japan
soooo badly! People made fun of me on Halloween (yes I know, I'm almost 16
and still dressing up ~*smile*~) because I was dressed as Kaoru. I had a
kimono, an obi and a parasol! It was so much fun! (A little off topic but
hey!) That just shows how much I want to go to Japan! I hope you will come
back to read my next chapters!!
Disclaimer: Yep, the same old story. I don't own the kawaii characters of Rurouni Kenshin!!!!! But not for long (see Keito-chan's Adventure in Japan). I do own Tsuyoi, Mayonaka, Fumeiyo, and Kage (not cage, ka-gay). Don't feel bad if you can't say their names. I'm not all that great with them either. But Gi-chan is!! ~*pulls Gi-chan to the front of the room*~ Gi- chan: (Blushing) Stop!!!!! I did tell you how to say them! Keito-chan: I know. But I'm dumb. I forgot! Gi-chan: (shakes head) Keito-chan no baka (!
NOTE: Oh yeah! Gomen nasai! I didn't put a translator in the last chapter! I was rushing and I sorta forgot. I hopefully won't forget this chapter!
Chapter 4: Being Kind Costs You
Kaoru sat on the riverbank, sniffing. She felt so ashamed of herself that she couldn't look at her reflection in the water.
"How can I face him after I acted like a child?" she thought. " Kenshin will never be able to look at me the same again."
That thought made her shudder. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Kaoru stood up, feeling calmer. She walked back onto the road and started towards the dojo.
A man sat in a tree, waiting for the girl. "Where the hell is she!?" he thought. "Did the Battosai make her that upset? Bad boy, Battosai!" he said in a singsong voice.
The man grinned evilly. Then one of his men signaled that he's seen the girl enter the woods. He quickly climbed down the tree and waited. While he waited, he took his knife and put a long, shallow gash in his leg.
"Such a shame," he thought. "These are my favorite pants." He glimpsed the girl through the trees her eyes still red. When she was a few feet away, he limped out onto the path and fell down. The girl rushed to his side with a cry. He smiled mentally.
"Arigatou," he said to the girl, "but you should be more worried about yourself than me."
He got up with ease and snapped his fingers. Men with weapons slipped out of the trees.
Kaoru cursed. She had only rushed to see if the man had been okay and now he was attacking her. She had left her bokken at the dojo, and there had to be at least thirty men there. And there was no Kenshin to save her. The man chuckled.
"In a bad predicament, aren't you, Kaoru-san?"
Kaoru's head turned fast, her ponytail whipping around. Her eyes narrowed.
"How do you know who I am? And why are you attacking me? I haven't done anything to you!"
The man checked his leg and pulled out of his pocket, a roll of bandages. As he kneeled down to wrap his leg, he said, "I don't know what my employer wants. He told me to watch you for about a week or so and then when you were without your precious Battosai and weapon, to attack you and bring to him."
He stood up and put the bandaged away.
"Oh and by the way," he said, looking at Kaoru, "my name is Fumeiyo."
Kaoru looked at him and said, "Why would I need to know your name?"
"Because you will be with me for a while," Fumeiyo said. "Now let's get this fight underway."
He nodded his head and his men advanced.
Kaoru looked around wildly. There were no weapons and she was exhausted from crying, stress, and all the practicing she had done earlier. A movement to her left caught her eye and she lashed out with her foot. The man she kicked fell and then the forest was full of shouts.
A little girl passed the commotion and stopped frightened. She recognized the older girl who was being flanked by five men. That was her brother's old kendo teacher, Kamiya Kaoru. Her mother had made him stop studying Kamiya Kasshin Ryu when she heard that it was a technique used by a killer. She found out later that the killer was an imposter but she still didn't let him go back.
The girl gasped as Kaoru was kicked in the stomach and then hit harshly on the head. She watched as Kaoru's knees buckled. She was caught by a man in practice clothes, similar to what Kaoru was wearing, with a brown coat over it and carried off into the woods. The little girl ran as fast as she could down the road and to her house.
Kenshin sat on the porch, staring at the darkening sky.
"Could I have made her that upset?"
He felt his stomach drop and moved his head to stare at his sword cradled in his lap.
"I'm such a fool," he thought. "I should have gone after her."
Kenshin heard the gate to the dojo open. His head flew up to stare at the three figures walking in. Kenshin started to release a sigh when he realized that the woman with Yahiko and Sano was Megumi, not Kaoru.
"Hey, Kenshin!" called Sano.
"Hi, Kenshin," echoed Yahiko. "Is Kaoru back?"
"No, she isn't. I had hoped she'd be with you."
Sano and Yahiko exchanged worried and concerned looks. Megumi cleared her throat, tired of being ignored.
"Ken-san," she said, "gomen nasai. This is my entire fault. I pushed her over the edge and I shouldn't have."
She hung her head, ashamed.
Kenshin clasped her shoulder and said, "Don't worry. It's not really your fault. Something happened to Kaoru-dono last night and I guess her getting angry made her break down."
Megumi looked at him, thankful.
"Arigatou," she sniffed.
Kenshin gave her a distracted smile and then turned his head back to the gates. Hoping. Wishing. Praying.
The little girl into her house, panting.
"Tsuyoi!" she yelled, "Tsuyoi!"
Tsuyoi ran into the room.
"Ma-Mayonaka," he panted, "what is it? And do you need to yell?"
Tsuyoi saw that Mayonaka was trembling. He knelt down until he was eye level with her.
"Mayonaka, what happened? What's wrong?" he asked, scared and concerned for his sister.
"K-Kaoru- sensei," she stuttered, "she-she's been kidnapped!"
Tsuyoi blinked.
Kaoru was his old kendo teacher, but his mother had made him stop taking lessons with her when someone was using the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu to murder people. He had been very disappointed because he had liked learning Kamiya Kasshin Ryu and he really like Kaoru, a little more than a friend and teacher. He still had a small crush on her and blushed when he saw her in the market. He knew it was useless though. He could tell by her behavior that she loved the redheaded swordsman with the cross scar on his cheek and large purple eyes. He didn't mind, he could live with it.
"Mayonaka, are you sure?" he asked
Mayonaka nodded.
"Kuso!" he growled.
He stood up and looked at his sister who was still trembling slightly.
"We need to go to the dojo and tell the people who live there with her what you saw."
Again she nodded.
He put on his sandals and walked out the door with Mayonaka right behind him.
Kenshin, Sano, Yahiko, and Megumi sat on the porch waiting for Kaoru to return. They all sat without talking, though, once or twice Yahiko opened his mouth to say something, but he shut it promptly. Once in a while they would glance at Kenshin, who was staring at the dojo gate intensely.
They heard shuffling outside the gate and turned their heads as it opened. Kenshin stood up quickly.
Two figures, one broad-shouldered and the other young girl, came running up to the porch, chests heaving.
"A-are you the man who-who lives with Kaoru-sensei?" the young man panted.
Kenshin, startled, said, "Hai, I am. What's happened?"
The little girl spoke up, "Kaoru-sensei was-was kidnapped!"
"WHAT!" Sano cried loudly, making the newcomers jump. "Jo-chan's been kidnapped?!"
Yahiko jumped up and said, "We need to find her!"
Kenshin stood still, eyes widened in shock. His hand gripped his reverse blade sword tightly. His Kaoru! Kidnapped!
Megumi stood up and said, "Let's get these two inside. It's chilly out and they are exhausted."
She led the two guests inside and bustled off to the kitchen to make tea while Kenshin, Sano, and Yahiko followed. When the tea was made, Megumi brought it out and sat down next to Sano.
"Please tell us what happened," Kenshin asked, his voice shaky.
"First, we should tell you our names and how we know Kaoru-sensei," said the boy. "I am Fuyusuki Tsuyoi and Kaoru-sensei used to teach me the Kamiya Ryu."
He bowed. The little girl bowed also.
"I am Fuyusuki Mayonaka," she said in a quite voice. "I am Tsuyoi's little sister. I met Kaoru-sensei when I would watch my brother practice. She said that she would teach me when I got older. But when my mother made Tsuyoi quit after the murders, she said I couldn't learn as well."
Kenshin remembered that incident well. It was the first time he'd ever met Kaoru. She accused him of being the Battosai because he had been carrying a sword. She was injured later, after trying to fight the man claiming to be Battosai. Kenshin carried her back to the dojo and dressed her wound after she fainted. She had told him he could stay there and that she didn't care about his past. He then watched as her last three students quit training. That's why Tsuyoi looked familiar. Later that night, Gohei, the man pretending to be the Battosai, came and attacked Kaoru with the intention to kill her. Kenshin came just in time to save her and had been with Kaoru ever since.
"My sister saw Kaoru-sensei being kidnapped about a half hour ago in the woods," continued Tsuyoi.
He looked at his sister reassuringly.
"Tell them what you saw Mayonaka."
The little girl took a deep, shuddering breath and began to tell the group what she has seen.
"I was walking back from helping our grandmother at her basket shop when I heard people yelling. Then I saw Kaoru-sensei being surrounded. She was kicked in the stomach so hard that her eyes widened and then she was hit over the head really hard. She must have been knocked out because she fell but was caught by a man who seemed to be commanding the men. They carried her off into the woods and that's when I ran home."
Kenshin and the group sat, staring at her. Even Tsuyoi was staring at her, horrified. His Kaoru-sensei was captured! He needed to help save her to pay her back for everything she taught him.
Sano looked at the young man blazing in front of him.
"He must have really looked up to Jo-chan," he thought. "He's not much older than her either."
"What was your relationship with Jo-chan?" Sano asked loudly.
Megumi glared at him as if to say "don't you dare".
Tsuyoi blushed and said, "The only relationship I had with Kaoru-sensei is that she was my teacher. Nothing else."
Kenshin turned to Mayonaka.
"What did the man look like, Mayonaka? The one who caught Kaoru-dono?"
Mayonaka scrunched up her face, trying to remember.
"He was about six feet tall and he was really strong looking too. He had black hair in a low ponytail. He had on practice clothes just like Kaoru- sensei, but his pants were black and he had a brown overcoat." "Arigatou," Kenshin said quietly.
Mayonaka nodded sleepily.
Tsuyoi saw his sister falling asleep and said, "Our parents must be worried and my sister is tired. We must be going. Arigatou for you hospitality."
He stood up, his sister doing so as well. Kenshin stood up and walked them to the gate.
Tsuyoi turned to Kenshin and said, "I'm coming back tomorrow. I want to help find Kaoru-sensei."
Kenshin smiled at him.
"You care about her, don't you? In more way than one, am I right?"
Tsuyoi blushed and nodded.
"Well, it's pretty hard not to," he said. "She was so kind to me and she's really pretty."
Kenshin looked up at the stars and said, "I know what you mean."
Tsuyoi looked at him, startled. Mayonaka merely leaned on the gate listening.
"She's been kind to me too," he continued, "There hasn't been a day that's gone by where I think 'what if I didn't stay here.' Two years ago, I had to go to Kyoto and I left her here, hoping that she wouldn't follow me. I was wrong. She followed my path until she found me and though she couldn't fight my enemy by my side, she was there in spirit and fought her own as well. She's the reason I'm not dead."
Kenshin felt his eyes burn with tears. One fell from his eye to slide down his cheek and trace his cross scar.
"He really loves her," Tsuyoi thought, "He probably feels worse that I do right now."
More tears leaked out of Kenshin's eyes.
"I-I don't know what I would do if-if s-something were to happen to her. I wouldn't be able to tell her that I-"
He stopped. He almost said that he loved Kaoru to a complete stranger! What was he thinking? And it wasn't like he was good enough for Kaoru.
"That you love her," finished Tsuyoi for him.
"Hai," he whispered, tears now running down his face in streams. Tsuyoi looked at the man before him. He seemed so formidable, but there he was crying before him.
Tsuyoi put his hand on Kenshin's shoulder and said, "Together we can bring Kaoru-sensei home."
Kenshin smiled through his tears.
"Hai, we will," he said quietly.
Tsuyoi picked up Mayonaka, who was falling asleep against the gate, and put her on his back.
"A-abayo," she said sleepily.
"Abayo Mayonaka and Tsuyoi," Kenshin said.
As Tsuyoi turned to go, Kenshin said, "Wait!"
Tsuyoi turned.
"I never got to tell you my name or the names of my friends. I'm Himura Kenshin. The other man was Sagara Sanosuke, Myojin Yahiko was the young boy, and the lady was Takani Megumi."
"I'll remember," Tsuyoi said, smiling faintly.
He turned and headed down the road. Kenshin watched him until he was out of site.
Fumeiyo sat in front of a man whose face was hidden by shadows.
"Kage," he said, voice low, "I have brought Kaoru to you."
"Have you!? Where is she now?!" Kage asked hungrily.
Fumeiyo winced at the eagerness in Kage's voice.
"I really hope he doesn't do anything to really hurt that Kamiya girl."
He shook his head. Why should he care? But after she was knocked out, she looked so innocent and vulnerable.
"That's exactly what she is," said a nasty voice in the back of his head. "And she's for Kage to play with."
"Well," demanded Kage, impatient, "where is she?!" "She's still unconscious upstairs."
Kage made a move as if to get up but Fumeiyo stopped him.
"She'd probably still have enough energy to kick your teeth out. She's strong. Plus, if you go up there now," he stopped, how could he ever think of saying this, "if you go up there now, she's not as fun. They're always better if they're resiting."
Fumeiyo felt disgusted with himself.
"How can this man enjoy doing things like that to women?" he thought, wrenching.
Kage sat back down and shifted.
"Arigatou, Fumeiyo. That will be enough. You can watch over my darling pet as she sleeps," Kage said, grinning wolfishly.
Fumeiyo stood up and bowed. He walked out of the room and slid the door shut quietly. He felt wetness on his leg.
"Kuso!" he thought, "My gash is still bleeding. I must have made it deeper than I had thought."
He limped up the stairs and to the room that confined Kaoru. He stood outside the door, listening to see if she was awake.
"How can that pig think of touching her?" he asked himself, sick to his stomach.
A sob broke him out of his thoughts.
"She's awake," he said quietly.
He opened the door and stopped. She was still asleep but her slightly cut and bruised face was a mask of tears and sweat. She was muttering something. The only thing that was clear was the Battosai's name.
"Kenshin," escaped from her lips.
Fumeiyo realized that she was having a nightmare, and kneeled down beside her thrashing body.
"Kaoru," he said, his hand on her shoulder.
An unfamiliar voice broke through Kaoru's dream. Kaoru's eyes opened to look into, not the violet eyes of Kenshin, but the hazel-green eyes of Fumeiyo.
I finally have finished Chapter 4! GOMEN NASAI!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have been grounded and I still am so when chapters aren't up, that means I can't type them! In this chapter, I won't be doing Keito-chan's Adventures in Japan. I decided to do that every other chapter so in Chapter 5, the second episode of Keito-chan's Adventures will be up. Please review and try not to get mad that I haven't been updating. If I had my way, I wouldn't be grounded. Arigatou! Abayo!
JAPANESE WORDS
*Gomen nasai- I'm sorry *Kuso- damn *Arigatou- thank you *Abayo- good-bye
JAPANESE NAMES- I have decided to tell you what the names of my characters mean: *Fumeiyo- dishonor *Tsuyoi- strong *Mayonaka- midnight *Kage- shadow
Disclaimer: Yep, the same old story. I don't own the kawaii characters of Rurouni Kenshin!!!!! But not for long (see Keito-chan's Adventure in Japan). I do own Tsuyoi, Mayonaka, Fumeiyo, and Kage (not cage, ka-gay). Don't feel bad if you can't say their names. I'm not all that great with them either. But Gi-chan is!! ~*pulls Gi-chan to the front of the room*~ Gi- chan: (Blushing) Stop!!!!! I did tell you how to say them! Keito-chan: I know. But I'm dumb. I forgot! Gi-chan: (shakes head) Keito-chan no baka (!
NOTE: Oh yeah! Gomen nasai! I didn't put a translator in the last chapter! I was rushing and I sorta forgot. I hopefully won't forget this chapter!
Chapter 4: Being Kind Costs You
Kaoru sat on the riverbank, sniffing. She felt so ashamed of herself that she couldn't look at her reflection in the water.
"How can I face him after I acted like a child?" she thought. " Kenshin will never be able to look at me the same again."
That thought made her shudder. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Kaoru stood up, feeling calmer. She walked back onto the road and started towards the dojo.
A man sat in a tree, waiting for the girl. "Where the hell is she!?" he thought. "Did the Battosai make her that upset? Bad boy, Battosai!" he said in a singsong voice.
The man grinned evilly. Then one of his men signaled that he's seen the girl enter the woods. He quickly climbed down the tree and waited. While he waited, he took his knife and put a long, shallow gash in his leg.
"Such a shame," he thought. "These are my favorite pants." He glimpsed the girl through the trees her eyes still red. When she was a few feet away, he limped out onto the path and fell down. The girl rushed to his side with a cry. He smiled mentally.
"Arigatou," he said to the girl, "but you should be more worried about yourself than me."
He got up with ease and snapped his fingers. Men with weapons slipped out of the trees.
Kaoru cursed. She had only rushed to see if the man had been okay and now he was attacking her. She had left her bokken at the dojo, and there had to be at least thirty men there. And there was no Kenshin to save her. The man chuckled.
"In a bad predicament, aren't you, Kaoru-san?"
Kaoru's head turned fast, her ponytail whipping around. Her eyes narrowed.
"How do you know who I am? And why are you attacking me? I haven't done anything to you!"
The man checked his leg and pulled out of his pocket, a roll of bandages. As he kneeled down to wrap his leg, he said, "I don't know what my employer wants. He told me to watch you for about a week or so and then when you were without your precious Battosai and weapon, to attack you and bring to him."
He stood up and put the bandaged away.
"Oh and by the way," he said, looking at Kaoru, "my name is Fumeiyo."
Kaoru looked at him and said, "Why would I need to know your name?"
"Because you will be with me for a while," Fumeiyo said. "Now let's get this fight underway."
He nodded his head and his men advanced.
Kaoru looked around wildly. There were no weapons and she was exhausted from crying, stress, and all the practicing she had done earlier. A movement to her left caught her eye and she lashed out with her foot. The man she kicked fell and then the forest was full of shouts.
A little girl passed the commotion and stopped frightened. She recognized the older girl who was being flanked by five men. That was her brother's old kendo teacher, Kamiya Kaoru. Her mother had made him stop studying Kamiya Kasshin Ryu when she heard that it was a technique used by a killer. She found out later that the killer was an imposter but she still didn't let him go back.
The girl gasped as Kaoru was kicked in the stomach and then hit harshly on the head. She watched as Kaoru's knees buckled. She was caught by a man in practice clothes, similar to what Kaoru was wearing, with a brown coat over it and carried off into the woods. The little girl ran as fast as she could down the road and to her house.
Kenshin sat on the porch, staring at the darkening sky.
"Could I have made her that upset?"
He felt his stomach drop and moved his head to stare at his sword cradled in his lap.
"I'm such a fool," he thought. "I should have gone after her."
Kenshin heard the gate to the dojo open. His head flew up to stare at the three figures walking in. Kenshin started to release a sigh when he realized that the woman with Yahiko and Sano was Megumi, not Kaoru.
"Hey, Kenshin!" called Sano.
"Hi, Kenshin," echoed Yahiko. "Is Kaoru back?"
"No, she isn't. I had hoped she'd be with you."
Sano and Yahiko exchanged worried and concerned looks. Megumi cleared her throat, tired of being ignored.
"Ken-san," she said, "gomen nasai. This is my entire fault. I pushed her over the edge and I shouldn't have."
She hung her head, ashamed.
Kenshin clasped her shoulder and said, "Don't worry. It's not really your fault. Something happened to Kaoru-dono last night and I guess her getting angry made her break down."
Megumi looked at him, thankful.
"Arigatou," she sniffed.
Kenshin gave her a distracted smile and then turned his head back to the gates. Hoping. Wishing. Praying.
The little girl into her house, panting.
"Tsuyoi!" she yelled, "Tsuyoi!"
Tsuyoi ran into the room.
"Ma-Mayonaka," he panted, "what is it? And do you need to yell?"
Tsuyoi saw that Mayonaka was trembling. He knelt down until he was eye level with her.
"Mayonaka, what happened? What's wrong?" he asked, scared and concerned for his sister.
"K-Kaoru- sensei," she stuttered, "she-she's been kidnapped!"
Tsuyoi blinked.
Kaoru was his old kendo teacher, but his mother had made him stop taking lessons with her when someone was using the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu to murder people. He had been very disappointed because he had liked learning Kamiya Kasshin Ryu and he really like Kaoru, a little more than a friend and teacher. He still had a small crush on her and blushed when he saw her in the market. He knew it was useless though. He could tell by her behavior that she loved the redheaded swordsman with the cross scar on his cheek and large purple eyes. He didn't mind, he could live with it.
"Mayonaka, are you sure?" he asked
Mayonaka nodded.
"Kuso!" he growled.
He stood up and looked at his sister who was still trembling slightly.
"We need to go to the dojo and tell the people who live there with her what you saw."
Again she nodded.
He put on his sandals and walked out the door with Mayonaka right behind him.
Kenshin, Sano, Yahiko, and Megumi sat on the porch waiting for Kaoru to return. They all sat without talking, though, once or twice Yahiko opened his mouth to say something, but he shut it promptly. Once in a while they would glance at Kenshin, who was staring at the dojo gate intensely.
They heard shuffling outside the gate and turned their heads as it opened. Kenshin stood up quickly.
Two figures, one broad-shouldered and the other young girl, came running up to the porch, chests heaving.
"A-are you the man who-who lives with Kaoru-sensei?" the young man panted.
Kenshin, startled, said, "Hai, I am. What's happened?"
The little girl spoke up, "Kaoru-sensei was-was kidnapped!"
"WHAT!" Sano cried loudly, making the newcomers jump. "Jo-chan's been kidnapped?!"
Yahiko jumped up and said, "We need to find her!"
Kenshin stood still, eyes widened in shock. His hand gripped his reverse blade sword tightly. His Kaoru! Kidnapped!
Megumi stood up and said, "Let's get these two inside. It's chilly out and they are exhausted."
She led the two guests inside and bustled off to the kitchen to make tea while Kenshin, Sano, and Yahiko followed. When the tea was made, Megumi brought it out and sat down next to Sano.
"Please tell us what happened," Kenshin asked, his voice shaky.
"First, we should tell you our names and how we know Kaoru-sensei," said the boy. "I am Fuyusuki Tsuyoi and Kaoru-sensei used to teach me the Kamiya Ryu."
He bowed. The little girl bowed also.
"I am Fuyusuki Mayonaka," she said in a quite voice. "I am Tsuyoi's little sister. I met Kaoru-sensei when I would watch my brother practice. She said that she would teach me when I got older. But when my mother made Tsuyoi quit after the murders, she said I couldn't learn as well."
Kenshin remembered that incident well. It was the first time he'd ever met Kaoru. She accused him of being the Battosai because he had been carrying a sword. She was injured later, after trying to fight the man claiming to be Battosai. Kenshin carried her back to the dojo and dressed her wound after she fainted. She had told him he could stay there and that she didn't care about his past. He then watched as her last three students quit training. That's why Tsuyoi looked familiar. Later that night, Gohei, the man pretending to be the Battosai, came and attacked Kaoru with the intention to kill her. Kenshin came just in time to save her and had been with Kaoru ever since.
"My sister saw Kaoru-sensei being kidnapped about a half hour ago in the woods," continued Tsuyoi.
He looked at his sister reassuringly.
"Tell them what you saw Mayonaka."
The little girl took a deep, shuddering breath and began to tell the group what she has seen.
"I was walking back from helping our grandmother at her basket shop when I heard people yelling. Then I saw Kaoru-sensei being surrounded. She was kicked in the stomach so hard that her eyes widened and then she was hit over the head really hard. She must have been knocked out because she fell but was caught by a man who seemed to be commanding the men. They carried her off into the woods and that's when I ran home."
Kenshin and the group sat, staring at her. Even Tsuyoi was staring at her, horrified. His Kaoru-sensei was captured! He needed to help save her to pay her back for everything she taught him.
Sano looked at the young man blazing in front of him.
"He must have really looked up to Jo-chan," he thought. "He's not much older than her either."
"What was your relationship with Jo-chan?" Sano asked loudly.
Megumi glared at him as if to say "don't you dare".
Tsuyoi blushed and said, "The only relationship I had with Kaoru-sensei is that she was my teacher. Nothing else."
Kenshin turned to Mayonaka.
"What did the man look like, Mayonaka? The one who caught Kaoru-dono?"
Mayonaka scrunched up her face, trying to remember.
"He was about six feet tall and he was really strong looking too. He had black hair in a low ponytail. He had on practice clothes just like Kaoru- sensei, but his pants were black and he had a brown overcoat." "Arigatou," Kenshin said quietly.
Mayonaka nodded sleepily.
Tsuyoi saw his sister falling asleep and said, "Our parents must be worried and my sister is tired. We must be going. Arigatou for you hospitality."
He stood up, his sister doing so as well. Kenshin stood up and walked them to the gate.
Tsuyoi turned to Kenshin and said, "I'm coming back tomorrow. I want to help find Kaoru-sensei."
Kenshin smiled at him.
"You care about her, don't you? In more way than one, am I right?"
Tsuyoi blushed and nodded.
"Well, it's pretty hard not to," he said. "She was so kind to me and she's really pretty."
Kenshin looked up at the stars and said, "I know what you mean."
Tsuyoi looked at him, startled. Mayonaka merely leaned on the gate listening.
"She's been kind to me too," he continued, "There hasn't been a day that's gone by where I think 'what if I didn't stay here.' Two years ago, I had to go to Kyoto and I left her here, hoping that she wouldn't follow me. I was wrong. She followed my path until she found me and though she couldn't fight my enemy by my side, she was there in spirit and fought her own as well. She's the reason I'm not dead."
Kenshin felt his eyes burn with tears. One fell from his eye to slide down his cheek and trace his cross scar.
"He really loves her," Tsuyoi thought, "He probably feels worse that I do right now."
More tears leaked out of Kenshin's eyes.
"I-I don't know what I would do if-if s-something were to happen to her. I wouldn't be able to tell her that I-"
He stopped. He almost said that he loved Kaoru to a complete stranger! What was he thinking? And it wasn't like he was good enough for Kaoru.
"That you love her," finished Tsuyoi for him.
"Hai," he whispered, tears now running down his face in streams. Tsuyoi looked at the man before him. He seemed so formidable, but there he was crying before him.
Tsuyoi put his hand on Kenshin's shoulder and said, "Together we can bring Kaoru-sensei home."
Kenshin smiled through his tears.
"Hai, we will," he said quietly.
Tsuyoi picked up Mayonaka, who was falling asleep against the gate, and put her on his back.
"A-abayo," she said sleepily.
"Abayo Mayonaka and Tsuyoi," Kenshin said.
As Tsuyoi turned to go, Kenshin said, "Wait!"
Tsuyoi turned.
"I never got to tell you my name or the names of my friends. I'm Himura Kenshin. The other man was Sagara Sanosuke, Myojin Yahiko was the young boy, and the lady was Takani Megumi."
"I'll remember," Tsuyoi said, smiling faintly.
He turned and headed down the road. Kenshin watched him until he was out of site.
Fumeiyo sat in front of a man whose face was hidden by shadows.
"Kage," he said, voice low, "I have brought Kaoru to you."
"Have you!? Where is she now?!" Kage asked hungrily.
Fumeiyo winced at the eagerness in Kage's voice.
"I really hope he doesn't do anything to really hurt that Kamiya girl."
He shook his head. Why should he care? But after she was knocked out, she looked so innocent and vulnerable.
"That's exactly what she is," said a nasty voice in the back of his head. "And she's for Kage to play with."
"Well," demanded Kage, impatient, "where is she?!" "She's still unconscious upstairs."
Kage made a move as if to get up but Fumeiyo stopped him.
"She'd probably still have enough energy to kick your teeth out. She's strong. Plus, if you go up there now," he stopped, how could he ever think of saying this, "if you go up there now, she's not as fun. They're always better if they're resiting."
Fumeiyo felt disgusted with himself.
"How can this man enjoy doing things like that to women?" he thought, wrenching.
Kage sat back down and shifted.
"Arigatou, Fumeiyo. That will be enough. You can watch over my darling pet as she sleeps," Kage said, grinning wolfishly.
Fumeiyo stood up and bowed. He walked out of the room and slid the door shut quietly. He felt wetness on his leg.
"Kuso!" he thought, "My gash is still bleeding. I must have made it deeper than I had thought."
He limped up the stairs and to the room that confined Kaoru. He stood outside the door, listening to see if she was awake.
"How can that pig think of touching her?" he asked himself, sick to his stomach.
A sob broke him out of his thoughts.
"She's awake," he said quietly.
He opened the door and stopped. She was still asleep but her slightly cut and bruised face was a mask of tears and sweat. She was muttering something. The only thing that was clear was the Battosai's name.
"Kenshin," escaped from her lips.
Fumeiyo realized that she was having a nightmare, and kneeled down beside her thrashing body.
"Kaoru," he said, his hand on her shoulder.
An unfamiliar voice broke through Kaoru's dream. Kaoru's eyes opened to look into, not the violet eyes of Kenshin, but the hazel-green eyes of Fumeiyo.
I finally have finished Chapter 4! GOMEN NASAI!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have been grounded and I still am so when chapters aren't up, that means I can't type them! In this chapter, I won't be doing Keito-chan's Adventures in Japan. I decided to do that every other chapter so in Chapter 5, the second episode of Keito-chan's Adventures will be up. Please review and try not to get mad that I haven't been updating. If I had my way, I wouldn't be grounded. Arigatou! Abayo!
JAPANESE WORDS
*Gomen nasai- I'm sorry *Kuso- damn *Arigatou- thank you *Abayo- good-bye
JAPANESE NAMES- I have decided to tell you what the names of my characters mean: *Fumeiyo- dishonor *Tsuyoi- strong *Mayonaka- midnight *Kage- shadow