Sentiments of gip-k: -All of you readers should be quite aware by now… I don't leave cliffhangers. ^_^ Well, not always. So now, without ANY further ado, I am going to get straight to the first chapter. Enjoi!
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Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, and am not seeking to gain any financial profits from this fanfiction.
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---Chapter 1: She comes!---
Sanosuke turned to face the person who had addressed him, and had to suck in a breath.
She was small, with her head barely reaching up to his waist. She was also very slight, but somehow not quite frail looking. To add to those, she was incredibly, astonishingly beautiful. Her curves could be seen even under her loose clothing, and her skin, a rich color like sunshine, looked as smooth and milky as a baby's. Underneath her straw hat, he saw a glimpse of locks of her wavy, darkly purple hair. Her lips, which he was certain were not painted, somehow had attained to the color of strawberries, and for some reason Sanosuke very badly wanted to kiss them.
Despite all of her obvious glory, the most amazing things on her were her eyes, an impossible solid green, holding his gaze with intensity.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" she snapped. "I just asked you a question, sir."
Sanosuke gave a start. She had a tongue very much like acid, and the way she said "sir" was in a very condescending and insulting way indeed.
"Um, I'm sorry," Sanosuke said. He was struggling to keep his eyes from crawling all over her like spiders, and to keep looking at her face. "I didn't hear you."
"I said," she began, with painfully purposefully slowness. "I would like to know where Mr. Hajime Saito is."
"Hajime Saito?" Sanosuke asked, blinking. He couldn't think straight. "I don't know where he is."
"But isn't he the Chief of Police in this city, Mr. Sagara?" the woman asked in a mock-sweet tone.
Sanosuke gave a start.
"H-how do you know my name?" he asked. "Who are you, anyway?"
"My name is Tokio-"
"Tokio!" Sanosuke began. He flashed her a grin. "I've never heard a name like that before. And though you already know my name, we haven't been properly introduced." Sano's grin widened, and he took Tokio's hand, shaking it. She simply stared at him with artificial nonchalance.
"Very nice to meet you, Sanosuke Sagara," she said.
"Call me Sano," he said.
Tokio raised an eyebrow.
"All right, young man, Sano it is," Tokio said. "Well, it was very nice meeting you."
Young man? Sanosuke thought. But wasn't she like fifteen or sixteen years old? He was almost twenty! She began to walk away, but Sanosuke objected.
"Hey, where are you going?" he asked, his face falling.
"I'm going to find Hajime Saito," she replied firmly.
"Nah, you can find him later," Sanosuke said. Tokio looked at him suspiciously. "Um, I mean -! Uh, is that what I said? No, no! I meant you haven't become familiar with the city yet, and you need someone by the likes of me to lead you around," He winked at her. She looked totally expressionless, but it didn't deter him from trying to woo her one bit. He continued. "Also, you don't have a place to stay, and Tokyo is very crowded."
Tokio looked impatient, at first, but that impatient expression turned to thoughtfulness.
"That sounds nice," Tokio said finally. "All right, thank you. Lead the way."
She didn't make "lead the way" sound very cheerful and coaxing at all, but rather like a command. Sanosuke frowned slightly. What kind of girl is she, anyway?
Sanosuke kept staring at her, half-drooling when she wasn't paying attention. She seemed to enjoy the city very much, for every once and a while a smile made its way unto her face. Sanosuke thought his heart might fail him. She's just too hot. He thought. Incredibly, impossibly hot.
Sanosuke was wracking his brain with places to take Tokio. Well, she did not have a place to stay, so maybe he could take her-
-To the Kamiya dojo. That was a long way, but it would be quite worth it. Yep, dump her in the little missy's place to stay by night, and exploring with him by day. It was all just too brilliant.
Sanosuke offered to take Tokio's bag, and she again raised one of those eyebrows, making him feel like a silly little boy.
"No thank you," she had replied curtly. "I am not as weak as some would think me to be, Sano."
Sanosuke half-tripped.
"Careful, boy," she said sternly. "Clumsiness can cause injuries."
Sanosuke's cheeks burned. For Kami's sake she sounds like somebody's mother!
"Uh, yeah," he replied, struggling to put on a cheery grin.
Finally, after Sanosuke thought he had taken her sightseeing enough, he decided to begin going to the dojo. They traveled on an old dirt road, packed down by the feet of many people over the centuries. Tokio looked up at him, her eyes like green fire.
"I do not think that this looks like the way to any police station, Sano," she said hotly. "Where the hell do you think you're taking me?"
Yeesh! She was very short-tempered.
"Chill out, dragon girl," he said. "I'm just taking you to my friend's dojo so you can get something to eat, okay? You look like you've been traveling a long time."
A red flush entered Tokio's cheeks.
"What did you just call me?" she asked.
Sanosuke gave a start. Tokio was… smiling?
"Um…" he looked confused. "I believe I called you dragon girl," he forced a grin, waiting for the torrent. "You act pretty much like a dragon sometimes."
He prepared for the raging storm to come, but Tokio just smiled at him, like a girl amused at a brand new toy.
"That's quite interesting, Sano," she replied. Then all of the sudden, she changed. "Meh! I'm tired of holding this sack, you take it." Then she abruptly took off the sack, and dumped it in his arms. Then she began walking with twice the speed she'd been going at before.
What the hell is she? Sanosuke thought. The bag was relatively light, but Sano stood staring at Tokio for so long that she got quite a good head start on him. He took a few long strides to catch up with her, then resumed walking at a regular pace.
Finally, after walking another half-kilometer, they reached Kaoru's dojo. Sanosuke announced their arrival, and Tokio just nodded, studying the place with obvious scrutiny.
Sanosuke knocked on the gate.
"Aye, little missy, are you there?" he called out.
"Little missy?" Tokio asked.
"Oh, that's just my nickname for Kaoru Kamiya, who owns this place," Sanosuke said with a wink. "We're good friends."
"I see," Tokio said conversationally.
"Just a moment!" came Kaoru's cheerful voice.
"Oh, don't worry yourself Kaoru-chan! I'll get it!" said another.
Tokio listened to these voices with obvious apprehension, seemingly impatient to meet the people who she would be having lunch with.
Finally, Misao Makamachi appeared around the corner, dressed in her usual clothing, which was a dark blue ninja suit, trimmed in lavender, and tied by a large pink ribbon. She did not have her ninja gloves on at the moment, because she had obviously been helping Kaoru fix lunch. She regarded Sanosuke and Tokio with an all-inclusive grin.
"Hey, rooster head, how are you doing today?" she asked. She rose an eyebrow in mock-surprise. "And who is this? You brought a new friend, Sano! Who is she, huh, rooster head?" her expression changed from mischievous to serious, and she whispered in Sano's ear. "You'd better not be cheating on fox lady or a swear I'll tell." Then she leaned back away from him, and smiled at Tokio like nothing happened. "So, welcome to the Kamiya Dojo!" she extended her hand. "My name is Misao Makamachi, and of course you've met Sano…"
Sanosuke muttered mean things about Misao under his breath. Tokio shook Misao's hand firmly, and easily detected the inquisitive look behind Misao's dark lavender-blue orbs, and quelled it with green-eyed firmness.
"My name is Tokio Saito, wife of Hajime Saito, who is the Chief of Police of Tokyo City." she said, deciding to be formal.
Misao didn't bother to stop her jaw from dropping. Sanosuke outright fell down, and totally forgot about wooing her.
"What?" Misao asked incredulously.
"B-b-but you can't be!" Sanosuke exclaimed. "Y- you're- you're- way too… beautiful! And way too… young! Why the hell didn't you tell me this first off? Now Saito's going to kill me!"
"Excuse me?" Tokio asked so hotly that the air around her seemed to shimmer. She glared at Sanosuke. She took little notice for Sanosuke's "compliment". "I don't know why you would think that my husband wouldn't have a good choice of women, or why you think me to be young! I am thirty-one years old you total baka! I think that means that I have at least ten or twelve years on you, young man. As for me not telling you, you did not allow me to finish that sentence! And why would my husband kill you?"
Sanosuke just stared at her, wide-eyed, shaking his head in disbelief. Misao had run off, spouting out unrecognizable words like a little steamboat. Had she said something about getting Kaoru?
"Hey, what's all the racket about?" Yahiko asked irritably as he emerged from inside the house. His dark red-brown eyes fell on Tokio, who was looking very, very annoyed at that moment.
"Hey, lady, who are you, anyway?" Yahiko demanded. "You're ruining our lunch so why don't you -!"
At that very moment, Kaoru came bursting forth out of the house, Misao at her heels. She made a wild fumble and finally came to a stop with her hand place securely over Yahiko's mouth.
"Hello, Miss Saito, welcome to my dojo!" she said with a wide, warm smile. Yet despite that cheery exterior, Sanosuke could tell she was in a state of extreme shock. Everyone finally quieted down, though Misao had to stick her entire fist in her mouth to accomplish that feat. Yahiko's face was red as a beet…most likely because Kaoru's hand was a roadblock to his ability to breathe. Sanosuke himself stood stiff as a stick, waiting for the dragon girl's reaction.
To the surprise of them all, Tokio smiled, green eyes dancing with obvious amusement.
It was going to be a very strange day.
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gip-k's Post Chapter Statements: -Meh, a little bit short, that it is. ^_^ But it was quite fun to write! I surely hope my loyal readers shall enjoy it. Cheerio for now! ^_^
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