I'm sooooo sorry this took so long! Really I am! I got so many reviews,
and then I didn't update forever. But it's not my fault! I WAS OUT OF
TOWN FOR TWO MONTHES! So so so so sosososososos sorry! Oh, and by the
way, Kenshin wasn't kicked out of the club, but if he acts that way again,
he will be. Oh, one more thing! I'm SOOOOO glad you all love this story.
It makes me feel SOOOO special! Anyway, I pray this chapter lives up to
your expectations. If it doesn't, let me know and I'll work even harder on
the next one.
*Disclaimer* I do not own Kenshin or anybody else, but Iormi-sama is MINE! By the way, I do know about Katsura, but for some reason I didn't want to use him when I started this fic so, for the purposes of this fic, there IS no Katsura. Not right now, anyway. Oh, and yes, Hiko will make an appearance in a few chapters. Saito will too... No, wait, someone's making an appearance in this chapter. Who would that be?
Chapter 4: (I add chapter titles when I feel like it, so sue me) Befuddled Explanations
"I heard everything," Kaoru said angrily. "I want to know what's going on."
Kenshin could not move, could not think. He was able to use a sword with deadly efficiency and could do physics like a professor, but when it came to making up explanations for a teenage girl... Well... He was at a complete loss. "Well - I - I -," he stammered.
Kaoru's frown deepened. "You lied to me! You are hiding something, something big. What did you leave? Who was that boy? Who is Shishio?"
Kenshin's eyes widened and he moved without thinking, flying toward her at god-like speed to clamp a hand over her mouth. Her eyes widened in shock. Kenshin knew that he couldn't allow Shishio's name to get around, to be known. He was going to have to think of something quickly.
He removed his hand and took a deep breath. "Sorry. Well, here goes. I used to go to a boy's boarding school," he began.
Kaoru's eyebrow raised skeptically.
"I had certain... certain duties... for the headmaster. Shishio is a classmate who is now taking over my duties. That boy is another student, who wanted to check up on me."
"Then what was all that about an occupation? And leaving it? And all the secrecy?" She obviously didn't believe him.
"Well, the school guards its' secrets very well. And it was an occupation, my duties... I got paid for them. And leaving it, well, it's sort of a scary place; I left because I couldn't deal with it anymore. It's not a good place." Where the hell did that story come from? Kenshin wondered. Would anyone possible believe that? Kenshin was just saying the first thing that popped into his mind.
Kaoru looked at him for a few moments. "It's a good story- but you're lying."
"What?" Kenshin said, feeling his hopes of fooling her falling down about him.
"I can tell. Don't you think you can trust me? Why are you-"
"Well, well, well, what have we here."
Kaoru and Kenshin spun around to see a gigantic boy wearing the school uniform, surrounded by some mean looking boys who wore big smirks on their ugly faces.
"Raijuta," Kaoru whispered.
"Hey, babe. Who's the wimp?"
Kenshin's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing.
"He's a new student, Himura Kenshin," Kaoru said firmly. "Do you want something, Raijuta?"
Kenshin was studying the man before him. His eyes narrowed. Everything about the man screamed school bully.
"Oh, just a little time with me... What's say you come to my house, Kaoru?" he said with a seductive smile. "You come, we let junior here off the hook."
'Junior?' Kenshin thought.
"You leave Kenshin and me alone!" Kaoru cried angrily.
"But we don't feel like it, do we boys?" Raijuta said as he took a step closer to Kaoru, who looked at him in fear.
Kenshin had had about enough of this stupid Raijuta boy. He took a step forward and spoke in a voice of deadly calm. "Would you like me to make you want to leave?" he asked.
Kaoru looked at him in shock and noticed a strange glint in his purple eyes. They flashed amber for a moment. Kaoru blinked. Had that been her imagination? Anyway, his cold look and his iced voice were unlike the shy Kenshin she knew.
Raijuta's cronies seemed a bit shaken up, but Raijuta just smirked. "You think you can do something to me, pretty boy?"
Kenshin said nothing, just continued to look at the boy calmly.
"You're really starting to piss me off, you know!" the gigantic bully cried, and he reached into his large bag, pulling out a katana.
"R-Raijuta! Why do you have that?! And at school?!" Kaoru cried.
Raijuta's men followed suit. Each of them pulled out a sword from their bags. They all grinned maliciously. "Now what do you say to that, pretty boy?"
Kenshin glanced around at them. It would probably be difficult to take them all out barehanded while protecting Kaoru. It seemed he had no choice...
Kenshin reached into his bag and pulled out his own katana.
"What... Who are you, dude?" the man on Raijuta's right asked.
Kaoru was trembling. "What- What are you doing with a katana!?"
"Don't worry, Kaoru," Kenshin said with a smile. He pulled the katana slightly out of the sheath.
"The blade... It's backwards," the girl said in shock.
"A sakabatou (spelling?), that it is," he said softly.
"That thing couldn't cut anyone! You really are a wimp!" Raijuta cried. At that moment, he rushed towards Kenshin, and his men rushed with him.
Kenshin knew that he would not be able to stop his instincts, so he did not try. He flew at them, carefully orchestrating his techniques and speed - these boys were trained in the ways of the sword, but compared to him...
Kaoru had never seen anything like it. He was moving faster than anyone she had ever seen, with an ease that could only come from years of very hard practice. In moments, it was over. Raijuta and his men were laying on the ground, moaning in pain or unconscious, but none of them were dead or even bleeding. It was... incredible.
"Let's go, Kaoru," Kenshin said, his voice soft. He turned to Raijuta and the others. "Never bother Kaoru or me again, understand?"
He did not wait for an answer. (A/N: I know Raijuta's not that weak, but I wanted Kenshin to beat him up. I mean, this is MY fic. Anyway, don't worry, Kenshin will have more dangerous opponents in the future... if I want him to. Just kidding, he will. Anyway, sorry.... Raijuta fans? Are there any? I'm just kidding, okay, whatever. Anyway, on with the fic!)
Kaoru was in shock, but she stumbled after Kenshin down the road. When they were aways away, Kenshin stopped and turned to her. "Sorry about that, it was not really pleasant, that it was not."
"No... Thank you, but, who are you?"
"Oro?" Kenshin looked confused. "What do you mean? I'm Himura Kenshin."
"Don't you 'oro' me! I want to know where you learned to fight like that!"
"I already said at the club, my father taught me," Kenshin said, sticking with his previous lie.
"Whatever- and why do you have a katana?! And why is the blade backwards!?"
"I don't wish to hurt anyone. As to why I have it... It's not really important."
Kaoru was getting angry. "You're really starting to irritate me, you know! Why are you lying to me! What are you hiding! Tell me!" Kaoru raised her fist to pound him, but he caught it easily.
"Please," he said softly. "There's no reason for that. Come now, we've only just met, right? Let's not talk about the distant past. It's really nothing to worry so much about."
Kaoru looked at him, surprised. He was a mass of contradictions... So strong yet so gentle, so cold sometimes but sometimes so warm and kind. She couldn't figure him out. But suddenly she felt very bad... She felt like those prying, annoying people she hated. "Say, Kenshin, do you want to come over or something?"
"Oro?"
"Both my parents are dead, so I live alone... Well, this little boy lives with me, but he's with Misao right now, so... so why don't you come over."
"O-Okay," Kenshin said, still not quite believing she was letting him off the hook so easily.
"You can follow me in your car, okay?"
"I guess."
"Don't think you've gotten out of this - I owe you an apology, but I still want an explanation."
"Oro?!" So much for that, Kenshin thought.
***
Kaoru and Kenshin's cars pulled up at her house. There were three other cars there.
"Hm? Who do all these cars belong to?" Kenshin asked. "I thought you lived alone."
Kaoru looked like she was about to explode. "Those.... IDIOTS! They came over and went to my house without my permission AGAIN!" She stormed into the house and flung the door open.
She's scarier than Shishio, that she is, Kenshin thought. He followed her inside, and found Sanosuke, Aoshi, Misao, Megumi, and the boy from the kendo club sitting around on couches in what appeared to be the living room.
"Uh-oh, I think we're in trouble," Sano said with a frown as he looked up at Kaoru's furious face.
"You guys!"
"Calm down," Aoshi said. "It's not like this is anything new."
"Hi Himura!" Misao said, bouncing up to greet him. Aoshi's eyes followed her in surprise. 'I thought she only did that for me,' he thought.
"Hello, Misao," Kenshin said with a smile.
"I'm waiting for an explanation, you guys, this is my house!"
"Calm down, Kaoru," Misao said with a grin. "Aren't you glad to see your best buds?"
Suddenly the boy jumped to his feet as he noticed Kenshin. "Hey! It's the guy from the club! You're supercool! Will you teach me kendo?!"
"I'm afraid I can't do that," said Kenshin with a smile. "What's your name?"
"I'm Yahiko."
"Yahiko's an orphan like me," Kaoru said, "And even though he's only ten he's cool... occasionally."
"Kaoru!"
"Actually," Sanosuke said, "All of us are orphans. That's how we ended up becoming so close. Aoshi and Misao both live at this dojo called the Oniwaban, and I live alone. Yahiko lives with Kaoru."
"I'm also an orphan," Kenshin said.
"What, but - but didn't your dad teach you swordsmanship?" Sano asked.
"Yes, but, I didn't really want to talk about it at the club, but he passed away..."
"I'm sorry. Well, welcome to the club!"
"Thanks everyone."
Kaoru looked very annoyed, and Kenshin realized she had wanted to get him alone so she could question him more thoroughly. It was very good that these people were here... Besides that, they made him feel strangely... Comfortable. As if they were real friends. As if he belonged.
But something was bothering Kenshin, and he couldn't put his finger on what exactly it was. All he knew was that it had something to do with Makoto Shishio...
***
Kenshin was staring at the worksheet in front of him - He was supposed to be concentrating, but he found his mind drifting. Part of it was his fear that Kaoru would still want an explanation, but most of it was Shishio. He didn't know why he was bothered, but he couldn't help remembering Shishio's cold eyes and feeling that he wasn't quite rid of them yet.
After class was dismissed, Kenshin went to lunch, where he ate outside with Misao, Aoshi, Sano, Megumi, and Kaoru. Misao was chattering excitedly to him about his skills as a swordsman. Kaoru was studying him carefully and Megumi and Sano were arguing about something. Aoshi was nearly silent, but his eyes were fixed on Misao's bright face. Something about the way she was smiling at Kenshin bothered him...
"Say, Kenshin, what do you think about Hitokiri Battousai?" Sano broke through Misao's giggling stream.
"Huh?" Kenshin turned to Sano.
"I mean, do you think he's gone? For good? Is he still alive?"
Kaoru noticed Kenshin shift uncomfortably and something strange flash in his eyes. Aoshi had noticed as well. "He still lives, I think, but he will not kill anyone again," Kenshin said. "However, I don't think sword killings will stop. There will be those to replace him."
"Hmmmm," Sano considered this. "That makes sense. I just wish I could find that bastard so I could kill him myself."
Kenshin shifted again but forced a smile on to his face. "Don't we all?" he mused softly.
***
The man sat alone, a cigarette stuck between his lips. The waitress walked up to him and set down his bowl of soba.
He nodded his thanks and stuck the cigarette into the ashtray. As he ate, he watched the swirling clouds outside the window. It's going to storm tonight, he thought. Yes, a storm...
How long, Himura? How long can you hide from this world? Something is going to happen, very soon, I can feel the winds of chaos stirring... You are not free of us yet, Himura. Or should I say, Hitokiri Battousai?
_________ You can probably figure out who that is. Well... Next chapter, the "winds of chaos" will stir indeed. Or begin to anyway. Kenshin's got a lot of issues to deal with - Kaoru's suspicious... And an ambitious successor... Not to mention more dreams of the past.
*Disclaimer* I do not own Kenshin or anybody else, but Iormi-sama is MINE! By the way, I do know about Katsura, but for some reason I didn't want to use him when I started this fic so, for the purposes of this fic, there IS no Katsura. Not right now, anyway. Oh, and yes, Hiko will make an appearance in a few chapters. Saito will too... No, wait, someone's making an appearance in this chapter. Who would that be?
Chapter 4: (I add chapter titles when I feel like it, so sue me) Befuddled Explanations
"I heard everything," Kaoru said angrily. "I want to know what's going on."
Kenshin could not move, could not think. He was able to use a sword with deadly efficiency and could do physics like a professor, but when it came to making up explanations for a teenage girl... Well... He was at a complete loss. "Well - I - I -," he stammered.
Kaoru's frown deepened. "You lied to me! You are hiding something, something big. What did you leave? Who was that boy? Who is Shishio?"
Kenshin's eyes widened and he moved without thinking, flying toward her at god-like speed to clamp a hand over her mouth. Her eyes widened in shock. Kenshin knew that he couldn't allow Shishio's name to get around, to be known. He was going to have to think of something quickly.
He removed his hand and took a deep breath. "Sorry. Well, here goes. I used to go to a boy's boarding school," he began.
Kaoru's eyebrow raised skeptically.
"I had certain... certain duties... for the headmaster. Shishio is a classmate who is now taking over my duties. That boy is another student, who wanted to check up on me."
"Then what was all that about an occupation? And leaving it? And all the secrecy?" She obviously didn't believe him.
"Well, the school guards its' secrets very well. And it was an occupation, my duties... I got paid for them. And leaving it, well, it's sort of a scary place; I left because I couldn't deal with it anymore. It's not a good place." Where the hell did that story come from? Kenshin wondered. Would anyone possible believe that? Kenshin was just saying the first thing that popped into his mind.
Kaoru looked at him for a few moments. "It's a good story- but you're lying."
"What?" Kenshin said, feeling his hopes of fooling her falling down about him.
"I can tell. Don't you think you can trust me? Why are you-"
"Well, well, well, what have we here."
Kaoru and Kenshin spun around to see a gigantic boy wearing the school uniform, surrounded by some mean looking boys who wore big smirks on their ugly faces.
"Raijuta," Kaoru whispered.
"Hey, babe. Who's the wimp?"
Kenshin's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing.
"He's a new student, Himura Kenshin," Kaoru said firmly. "Do you want something, Raijuta?"
Kenshin was studying the man before him. His eyes narrowed. Everything about the man screamed school bully.
"Oh, just a little time with me... What's say you come to my house, Kaoru?" he said with a seductive smile. "You come, we let junior here off the hook."
'Junior?' Kenshin thought.
"You leave Kenshin and me alone!" Kaoru cried angrily.
"But we don't feel like it, do we boys?" Raijuta said as he took a step closer to Kaoru, who looked at him in fear.
Kenshin had had about enough of this stupid Raijuta boy. He took a step forward and spoke in a voice of deadly calm. "Would you like me to make you want to leave?" he asked.
Kaoru looked at him in shock and noticed a strange glint in his purple eyes. They flashed amber for a moment. Kaoru blinked. Had that been her imagination? Anyway, his cold look and his iced voice were unlike the shy Kenshin she knew.
Raijuta's cronies seemed a bit shaken up, but Raijuta just smirked. "You think you can do something to me, pretty boy?"
Kenshin said nothing, just continued to look at the boy calmly.
"You're really starting to piss me off, you know!" the gigantic bully cried, and he reached into his large bag, pulling out a katana.
"R-Raijuta! Why do you have that?! And at school?!" Kaoru cried.
Raijuta's men followed suit. Each of them pulled out a sword from their bags. They all grinned maliciously. "Now what do you say to that, pretty boy?"
Kenshin glanced around at them. It would probably be difficult to take them all out barehanded while protecting Kaoru. It seemed he had no choice...
Kenshin reached into his bag and pulled out his own katana.
"What... Who are you, dude?" the man on Raijuta's right asked.
Kaoru was trembling. "What- What are you doing with a katana!?"
"Don't worry, Kaoru," Kenshin said with a smile. He pulled the katana slightly out of the sheath.
"The blade... It's backwards," the girl said in shock.
"A sakabatou (spelling?), that it is," he said softly.
"That thing couldn't cut anyone! You really are a wimp!" Raijuta cried. At that moment, he rushed towards Kenshin, and his men rushed with him.
Kenshin knew that he would not be able to stop his instincts, so he did not try. He flew at them, carefully orchestrating his techniques and speed - these boys were trained in the ways of the sword, but compared to him...
Kaoru had never seen anything like it. He was moving faster than anyone she had ever seen, with an ease that could only come from years of very hard practice. In moments, it was over. Raijuta and his men were laying on the ground, moaning in pain or unconscious, but none of them were dead or even bleeding. It was... incredible.
"Let's go, Kaoru," Kenshin said, his voice soft. He turned to Raijuta and the others. "Never bother Kaoru or me again, understand?"
He did not wait for an answer. (A/N: I know Raijuta's not that weak, but I wanted Kenshin to beat him up. I mean, this is MY fic. Anyway, don't worry, Kenshin will have more dangerous opponents in the future... if I want him to. Just kidding, he will. Anyway, sorry.... Raijuta fans? Are there any? I'm just kidding, okay, whatever. Anyway, on with the fic!)
Kaoru was in shock, but she stumbled after Kenshin down the road. When they were aways away, Kenshin stopped and turned to her. "Sorry about that, it was not really pleasant, that it was not."
"No... Thank you, but, who are you?"
"Oro?" Kenshin looked confused. "What do you mean? I'm Himura Kenshin."
"Don't you 'oro' me! I want to know where you learned to fight like that!"
"I already said at the club, my father taught me," Kenshin said, sticking with his previous lie.
"Whatever- and why do you have a katana?! And why is the blade backwards!?"
"I don't wish to hurt anyone. As to why I have it... It's not really important."
Kaoru was getting angry. "You're really starting to irritate me, you know! Why are you lying to me! What are you hiding! Tell me!" Kaoru raised her fist to pound him, but he caught it easily.
"Please," he said softly. "There's no reason for that. Come now, we've only just met, right? Let's not talk about the distant past. It's really nothing to worry so much about."
Kaoru looked at him, surprised. He was a mass of contradictions... So strong yet so gentle, so cold sometimes but sometimes so warm and kind. She couldn't figure him out. But suddenly she felt very bad... She felt like those prying, annoying people she hated. "Say, Kenshin, do you want to come over or something?"
"Oro?"
"Both my parents are dead, so I live alone... Well, this little boy lives with me, but he's with Misao right now, so... so why don't you come over."
"O-Okay," Kenshin said, still not quite believing she was letting him off the hook so easily.
"You can follow me in your car, okay?"
"I guess."
"Don't think you've gotten out of this - I owe you an apology, but I still want an explanation."
"Oro?!" So much for that, Kenshin thought.
***
Kaoru and Kenshin's cars pulled up at her house. There were three other cars there.
"Hm? Who do all these cars belong to?" Kenshin asked. "I thought you lived alone."
Kaoru looked like she was about to explode. "Those.... IDIOTS! They came over and went to my house without my permission AGAIN!" She stormed into the house and flung the door open.
She's scarier than Shishio, that she is, Kenshin thought. He followed her inside, and found Sanosuke, Aoshi, Misao, Megumi, and the boy from the kendo club sitting around on couches in what appeared to be the living room.
"Uh-oh, I think we're in trouble," Sano said with a frown as he looked up at Kaoru's furious face.
"You guys!"
"Calm down," Aoshi said. "It's not like this is anything new."
"Hi Himura!" Misao said, bouncing up to greet him. Aoshi's eyes followed her in surprise. 'I thought she only did that for me,' he thought.
"Hello, Misao," Kenshin said with a smile.
"I'm waiting for an explanation, you guys, this is my house!"
"Calm down, Kaoru," Misao said with a grin. "Aren't you glad to see your best buds?"
Suddenly the boy jumped to his feet as he noticed Kenshin. "Hey! It's the guy from the club! You're supercool! Will you teach me kendo?!"
"I'm afraid I can't do that," said Kenshin with a smile. "What's your name?"
"I'm Yahiko."
"Yahiko's an orphan like me," Kaoru said, "And even though he's only ten he's cool... occasionally."
"Kaoru!"
"Actually," Sanosuke said, "All of us are orphans. That's how we ended up becoming so close. Aoshi and Misao both live at this dojo called the Oniwaban, and I live alone. Yahiko lives with Kaoru."
"I'm also an orphan," Kenshin said.
"What, but - but didn't your dad teach you swordsmanship?" Sano asked.
"Yes, but, I didn't really want to talk about it at the club, but he passed away..."
"I'm sorry. Well, welcome to the club!"
"Thanks everyone."
Kaoru looked very annoyed, and Kenshin realized she had wanted to get him alone so she could question him more thoroughly. It was very good that these people were here... Besides that, they made him feel strangely... Comfortable. As if they were real friends. As if he belonged.
But something was bothering Kenshin, and he couldn't put his finger on what exactly it was. All he knew was that it had something to do with Makoto Shishio...
***
Kenshin was staring at the worksheet in front of him - He was supposed to be concentrating, but he found his mind drifting. Part of it was his fear that Kaoru would still want an explanation, but most of it was Shishio. He didn't know why he was bothered, but he couldn't help remembering Shishio's cold eyes and feeling that he wasn't quite rid of them yet.
After class was dismissed, Kenshin went to lunch, where he ate outside with Misao, Aoshi, Sano, Megumi, and Kaoru. Misao was chattering excitedly to him about his skills as a swordsman. Kaoru was studying him carefully and Megumi and Sano were arguing about something. Aoshi was nearly silent, but his eyes were fixed on Misao's bright face. Something about the way she was smiling at Kenshin bothered him...
"Say, Kenshin, what do you think about Hitokiri Battousai?" Sano broke through Misao's giggling stream.
"Huh?" Kenshin turned to Sano.
"I mean, do you think he's gone? For good? Is he still alive?"
Kaoru noticed Kenshin shift uncomfortably and something strange flash in his eyes. Aoshi had noticed as well. "He still lives, I think, but he will not kill anyone again," Kenshin said. "However, I don't think sword killings will stop. There will be those to replace him."
"Hmmmm," Sano considered this. "That makes sense. I just wish I could find that bastard so I could kill him myself."
Kenshin shifted again but forced a smile on to his face. "Don't we all?" he mused softly.
***
The man sat alone, a cigarette stuck between his lips. The waitress walked up to him and set down his bowl of soba.
He nodded his thanks and stuck the cigarette into the ashtray. As he ate, he watched the swirling clouds outside the window. It's going to storm tonight, he thought. Yes, a storm...
How long, Himura? How long can you hide from this world? Something is going to happen, very soon, I can feel the winds of chaos stirring... You are not free of us yet, Himura. Or should I say, Hitokiri Battousai?
_________ You can probably figure out who that is. Well... Next chapter, the "winds of chaos" will stir indeed. Or begin to anyway. Kenshin's got a lot of issues to deal with - Kaoru's suspicious... And an ambitious successor... Not to mention more dreams of the past.