Sagara Sanosuke sat in the couch opposite to Kenshin in his Lazy-Boy deep in thought, trying to presume who would be reasonable for the crimes Kaoru falsely accused him of.
"Don't worry about it Kenshin. All women were born with something loose up here," said Sano as he pointed to his noggin.
Megumi slapped her boyfriend upside the head; Sano would have to think before he spoke more often. She took a seat beside him on the couch and looked to Kenshin, who was wrapped up in his pondering, worriedly.
"Kenshin?"
He blinked and seemed like he just noticed Megumi and Sano were there with him in his room. "Oh sorry, Megumi."
"Come up with any suspects yet?"
Kenshin lowered his eyes, "No I haven't. So far I can only see the culprit being a member of the boys kendo team. Who else can have the motive and walk into the kendo room without it being out of the norm?"
Sano put his feet up on the coffee table and put one arm around Megumi's shoulders, "Well if you're gonna interrogate the kendo guys then I suggest you bring some extra muscle." Sano clenched his fist. "Just in case."
Kenshin took a moment and began to nod his head. He took a look at the clock hanging on the wall, it read 4:47. "Kendo practice is in a few minutes. Very well, Sano you're coming with me."
He got up and walked to his room to prepare for practice… this all would be figured out tonight.
Minutes later Kenshin was standing on the hardwood floors of the kendo room, bokken over his shoulder, scrutinizing each of his teammates lined up across the room. A few stood there with beads of sweat forming on their foreheads, others had a what-the-hell-is-this kind of look on their face.
Kenshin paced down the line and eyed each man with Sano standing off to the side cracking his knuckles as if itching for one of them to step out of line. Their captain had surprised them by postponing the practice until tomorrow, especially since the tournament involving all the universities and colleges in the area was coming up soon, and clarified the rumours that the girls kendo team had been sabotaged.
"No man will leave this room tonight," said Kenshin slowly and meticulously. "Until I am convinced that they were not responsible for the undignified and undeserved retaliation against the girls kendo team."
So the night went on with Kenshin and Sano questioning each team member on their whereabouts on the previous night and early that morning. All except Aoshi and Soujiro, Kenshin had decided to talk with them about this alone, after all they were his closest friends. As this process went on the line of suspects started to shrink and be dismissed and only a handful of smart alecks and bad asses were left. All less likely then the next.
"So Kenshin?" said Sano as the two investigators walked off to the side. "Still think its someone from the kendo team?"
"Now I'm not so sure… but it has to be someone whose related to the kendo at this school," he deduced.
All of a sudden and with much clamor, the two doors of the kendo room were thrown open and in marched an immense man wearing a brown suit, and a fair amount of facial hair looking enraged with a vein on his forehead ready to pop. Kenshin recognized him to be Hiruma Gohei, a chairman in the school's council and director and wealthy sponsor of the kendo program.
"HIMURA," he bellowed.
Kenshin sighed inwardly; this would be the second time some yelled his name in hostility. He and Sano went to greet Gohei, as it would be only proper for such a prominent sponsor to the kendo program.
"Mr. Hiruma," said Kenshin calmly as he bowed with Sano doing the same awkwardly beside him.
"Don't even dare try to give that suck up shit this time, Himura!" Gohei shoved a big sausage finger in Kenshin's face. "Your team has an important tournament coming up and should be practicing every day. Do you think I pay good money for my team to loose! But what happens to come to my attention? Captain Himura is using this valuable practice time to play detective!"
By now Gohei was breathing heavily at his infuriated opening speech and stared down at Kenshin wait for an answer.
"Sir, please try and understand," began Kenshin coolly. "As I am sure the director of the kendo program is informed, I am trying to get to the bottom of the events involving the girls kendo team."
"WHAT!" Gohei cried. "You're making a fuss over a few old bokken and university pranks?"
Kenshin had always felt a certain distaste towards Gohei, even though he ever was in position to show it. The man was too full of himself, always interested in the fame the boys' kendo team earned and left the actual hard work to Kenshin. But Kenshin was surprised that Gohei didn't care about what happened to the girls' team, after all the man sought fame and fortune in whatever package it came in, even if it was a bunch of girls.
"Sir, are you saying that you're not concerned with what happened?" asked Kenshin. "You don't care that the girls' team fell apart?"
"Well of course I am concerned Himura," Gohei barked. "After all I am the heart and soul of this school's kendo program. But this should not distract your team, you need to practice. Nobody ever won without being strong!"
"But Sir, do you not care to find out who is responsible?"
"No I don't. And if I don't neither do you or your team." Gohei straightened himself and made sure Kenshin was below his height. "For this misuse of authority Captain Himura, you will have the honour of going back to your teammates tomorrow and telling them everyday for the rest of this week you will be having two hour practices."
"But that's ridiculous!" protested Sano, finally speaking up.
Gohei looked over to Sano. "The last time I checked you were not on my team. So don't trouble yourself with problems that are not yours. Now shoo fly."
"What did you just say!" growled Sano. He took a step toward Gohei, but Kenshin quickly stepped between them. Gohei smiled mockingly at Sano.
"Sir, please. The team doesn't deserve this. If you're going to punish someone let it be me," said Kenshin trying to spare his team.
Gohei gave a toothy grin knowing Kenshin was now succumbing to his authority. "No Himura. You chose to misuse practice time and now you're whole team will have to live with it. And don't try to skip those practices, I'll make sure I get someone to confirm that you practiced down to the last second. Good day Himura."
With that Gohei turned on his heel and walked out of the room, looking quite pleased with himself.
Kenshin glared after him. He has no right to act like the pompous dick he is. Especially when dealing with my team. But still…this is strange. You'd think a cheap guy like Gohei would get upset about the broken bokken. After all, now he'll have to buy the school new ones. The wheels kept turning in Kenshin's head as he walked back to his room with Sano muttering about how he'd like to shove his foot up Gohei's ass. The broken bokken didn't pose a problem to his team since almost all the boys had previous interest in kendo and owned their own. But the girls' team was now bokken-less.
He started to dress into his pjs; red plaid pants and a plain white t-shirt. Gohei could have easily have been responsible for what happened, but why? What possible reason could he have? Kenshin decided not to rule out Gohei as a suspect but with no proof, he was left at a dead end...
A/N: Hmmm, the plot thickens... But really, I hope you guys liked it. The next chapter will come up tomorrow most likely and since I didn't feature Misao or Kaoru in this chapter they'll be in the next so don't worry. Well read and review and take care!