My Date with the Battousai's Daughter
Chapter 5- Battousai's Daughter
A shadowy figure crept along the rooftops, peering down at the people below; when he spotted the face he had been looking for. Striding confidently with an arrogant smirk, the teenaged boy walked past the shadow's hiding place into a tavern.
"This is the sort of place he frequents?" Kenshin thought with a scowl. "I shouldn't be too surprised…"
The bar, a drab brown building with peeling paint and missing roof tiles, was one of the more disreputable-looking buildings on the street, likely a Yakuza run setup for illegal gambling and who knew what else. The sickly scent of vomit, alcohol, and western tobacco wafted through the open door. Kiyosato went to sit with a group of boys in the back of the bar near the single small window.
Taking care not to dislodge a loose roof tile, Kenshin slipped into the alleyway next to the window, where he stood listening.
A burly boy with dirty black hair and leering eyes patted Kiyosato roughly on the back. "Hey Kiyosato-kun! How was your date?" He asked.
"A real find Hiro-kun, as pretty as the sakura flowers she's named after." Kiyosato answered with a wink and a grin.
A thin, unkempt boy with brown hair and a pale complexion laughed coarsely. "Great line Kiyo, but we know you'll deflower her soon if you haven't already."
"Not yet. She's of a bit of a prude, wouldn't even let me kiss her or feel around a bit. I'll loosen her up eventually though…" Kiyosato rubbed the bruise on his jaw conspicuously, causing them all to break into harsh laughter.
Outside, Kenshin turned away in disgust, battling the sudden impulse to storm into the bar and throttle them for speaking of his daughter in such a manner. He managed to keep control by reminding himself that if the boy was being truthful, Sakura was not injured in the way he had feared. Unable to listen to any more, he leaped catlike back onto the roof, then crept over to his hiding place on a nearby building so that he could catch sight of Kiyosato the moment he left the exit.
Back at their table, one of the boys thought for a moment before asking, "Say, Kiyo, what did you say her family name was?"
"I didn't. It's Himura. Himura Sakura."
Hearing the name, the blood drained from Hiro's leering face. Suddenly quiet and serious, his shaking voice emphasized each word as he asked, "What did you say her family name was?"
"Himura." Kiyosato repeated casually.
"Did you meet her dad?" Hiro asked with a nervous laugh, trying to hide his anxiety.
"Well, yeah, he's this weird guy with red hair…"
Hiro grabbed Kiyosato by the front of his gi and asked forcefully, "Kiyosato-kun, did he have a cross-shaped scar on his face?"
"Yes, one on his cheek, but how do you know that? And let me go!" Kiyosato replied somewhat angrily. He was starting to wonder at his friend.
Hiro released him and shook his head, laughing breathlessly without humor. "You absolute moron!" He yelled through clenched teeth. "You're dating the Battousai's daughter!"
Meanwhile Kenshin, or rather Battousai, waited in his hiding place, his now mostly amber eyes watching for Kiyosato.
An hour later Kiyosato staggered out, the evening's events echoing ominously in his mind. "It's a shame," he thought, "she's a beautiful girl, but it's not worth my life." Another thought occurred to his alcohol-fogged mind: "Oh God, I ripped her dress! Hmm…what must she have looked like when she got home?"
The moon and the dull yellow glow of lamplight filtering through the screened windows above reflected off the damp ground of the narrow alleyway. As he walked, Kiyosato thought he saw a movement through the corner of his eye. "It's probably just a rat." He told himself, taking a deep breath. He then immediately jumped at the sound of his own footsteps echoing off the walls as he began to unconsciously walk faster. His heart pounded and drops of cold sweat trickled down his neck and back as anxiety began to take hold of him. Unable to contain his paranoia, he began desperately bolting down the street.Just as hehad almost reached the end of the block, he was forced to stop and jump back from a shadow that detached itself from a nearby rooftop. It leaped down, and the feared assassin of legends now stood directly in his path. As he faced him Battousai put his left hand on his sheath and loosened the hilt of his sword with his thumb, making a loud and ominous clicking sound. At this, Kiyosato fell backward in terror, his gaze traveling upwards to meet cold gleaming amber eyes that seemed to promise his death.
"Are you going to kill me?" He gasped, mouth wide like a caught fish struggling for breath. A tear formed in the corner of his eye, threatening to flow down his cheek.
Battousai considered it for a moment. "No," his conscience replied, "he is only a foolish boy, and certainly not nearly as foolish as this one was at his age, if in a different way." Kenshin sighed. He could never kill a mere child, even one who had dishonored his daughter…however…
"If I was going to kill you," Battousai replied emotionlessly, "you would already be dead." This intended reassurance, really the best the Battousai could ever offer, only increased Kiyosato's abject terror, as he pondered the number of things that the former hitokiri could do to him.
"Well get up then." Battousai said. "You are going to go apologize."
Kiyosato's voice caught in his throat. "Apologize?" He squeaked, crawling onto his hands and knees.
"Yes, come with me." A hint of a smile formed on Battousai's lips at the boy's look of surprise. "I'm still going to teach him a lesson." He thought.
Trying to keep a wary eye on Kenshin's sword, Kiyosato scrambled clumsily to his feet and began walking in the direction of the dojo. He shivered as he felt the threatening presence of Battousai walking silently behind him.
Sakura looked up from the porch to see two familiar figures approaching the dojo. She did not know whether to feel relieved that one of them was still in good health or worried about what would happen next.
Hearing her daughter take a sudden indrawn breath, Kaoru went outside to see what was going on.
She saw a rather nervous, inebriated, and shaky Kiyosato marching wearily in front of a grim and angry Kenshin.
Kaoru felt her blood begin to boil. "Kenshin you idiot! What on earth do you think you've been doing?"
The Battousai softened at his wife. "But Sakura…"
"Is fine!" Kaoru yelled exasperatedly. "The boy was a bit too fresh with her, nothing more!"
Kenshin hesitated in his otherwise steady pace a moment, looking blankly at his wife. "Here it comes." He thought.
Meanwhile, Sakura got to her feet and ran over to Kiyosato, who had collapsed shakily to his hands and knees. Putting a hand on his shoulder, she asked concernedly, "Kiyosato-kun, are you alright?"
"Uh…I think so." Kiyosato replied confusedly, watching as the feared Battousai stood cowering slightly under the wrath of his angry wife.
"And you!" Kaoru yelled, moving her ranting to Kiyosato, "How dare you treat my daughter in such a way! I hope you have learned a lesson tonight about how to behave around women!"
"Mother…" Sakura growled irritably under her breath.
"Quiet now Sakura, I'm handling this." Kaoru said before continuing at high volume, "Now, what do you have to say for yourself?"
Silence reignedwhile Kiyosato took a deep breath and struggled to gather his thoughts. Looking at the angry and expectant face of the woman before him, it seemed to Kiyosato that she was even more formidable than Battousai—almost. Something finally clicked inside Kiyosato's head and he bowed deeply from his place on the ground. "I am deeply sorry for my actions. Please forgive me."
Kaoru only snorted angrily, but Sakura felt a stab of pity, albeit very small, for the pathetic young man now before her. "Kiyosato-kun, I forgive you. I trust you will repent and act differently in the future?"
Kiyosato nodded vigorously, then glanced fearfully at Kenshin. "I have learned my lesson Sakura-san."
Kenshin's face became remorseful. Hanging his head in shame, he walked slowly over to stand in front of Kiyosato. "It is this unworthy one who must ask your forgiveness Kiyosato-kun."
Kiyosato looked at him in shock and scrambled to his feet as Kenshin came closer. "Please," he stammered, "that is really not necessary."
"Yes it is. No matter what you did, this one did not have the right to threaten your life. This one also apologizes for jumping to conclusions. I should have allowed my daughter to explain."
"Well now that everything is all peace and love and flowers," Yahiko interrupted, coming outside, "can we please send the jerk home and go to bed now? It's been a long day for all of us and I've got a class to teach in the morning."
"Yahiko!" Kaoru yelled.
Seeing Kaoru become distracted as she began arguing with her apprentice, Kiyosato took the opportunity to once again bow deeply in apology to Kenshin and Sakura. Then he turned and ran out the dojo gate and down the road as fast as his legs could carry him.
Kenshin cast a repentant look at Sakura and the girl ran forward to her father to embrace him.
The twoheld each other for a long moment until Sakura leaned back to look at him with a small, teasing smile on her face.
"Just promise me one thing Dad." She said.
Kenshin's eyes widened. "Yes?"
"Don't do this to every guy who courts me or I'll never get married."
Kenshin nodded seriously, "Agreed." Then, he added silently, "At least, not to every guy…"
A few weeks later, Kiyosato was walking dismally through the marketplace, pondering yet another dull evening.
Suddenly a burly boy ran up and slapped an arm roughly around his shoulders. "Hey Kiyosato-kun! I got some good news for ya!"
"What is it Hiro-kun?" Kiyosato asked sourly.
"I set you up with a real pretty girl for tonight!"
"Sorry," Kiyosato said, "but I don't think I'm going to be dating again anytime soon."
"Oh come on!" Hiro moaned, rolling his eyes, "You're not still upset about that last girl are you? How could you have known who her father was?"
Kiyosato sighed. "Alright," he said slowly, "I guess it wouldn't hurt."
"Great!" Hiro said enthusiastically, "Here is her name and address. Pick her up at six and meet us at the Akabeko." Grinning widely, the older boy ran off to make plans.
Kiyosato looked at the name. "Hmm…Fujita Natsuko… Sounds normal enough…"
Kiyosato continued on his way, now with a happy spring in his step and a small smile of anticipation.
THE END
Author's Note: For those of you who may not remember, "Fujita" is the surname of Saitou's alias.