Sentiments of gip- k: -Heyo! ^_^ I'm finally on a roll again… Time to update! I know that writing this chapter will be lots of fun, so let me begin.
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Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, nor do I seek any financial gain from writing this fanfiction.
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---Chapter 4: Tokyo---
Tokio Saito woke early the next morning, just when the sun was touching the blue sky with fingers of gold. Her eyes opened immediately at the sound of the first bird calls. There was only one person on her mind- Hajime Saito.
Tokio quickly dressed, but this time in lighter clothing. Tokyo was a very warm city and a strong contrast with the mountains in every way.
Tokio through some water on her face, and wiped it quickly with a towel. It was soft, she noted mentally. Kaoru Kamiya took very good care of her guests- almost enough to be suspicious.
Well, Tokio had no time to think about these things. She at the last minute decided to wear her pocketknife- she didn't know the city well, and frankly, she didn't have time for people who decided it was okay to "bother" her. She had to find Hajime, and take him back home. A red flush crept across Tokio's face at the thought of him. She, however, put nonsense aside, and determined that she would go to walk to the Tokyo City Police Station and find him. Curse that man!
Tokio opened the shoji very carefully, as not to wake anyone, up, least of all Kenshin Himura. He had ears like a cat, or some other kind of animal, or something. It frightened her… it also disturbed her that he seemed to feel some kind of obligation to keeping her safe and happy- perhaps for Hajime? They were certainly not friends… thus she felt she ought to be very wary of Kenshin Himura and avoid him as often as possible. Certainly, he was nice, but he was quite mysterious.
Tokio had almost gotten to the gate when she heard a voice behind her.
"Hey, lady, you think that's such a good idea?"
Tokio jumped and let out a half-shriek. Then she squeezed her eyes shut to force herself to concentrate, and with a sigh of exasperation rounded on the owner of the voice.
"Boy, I tell you, do not frighten me like that again," Tokio said through gritted teeth. She looked at Yahiko sternly. "What on earth are you doing here at this hour?"
"Is it a crime to wake up early in the morning?" Yahiko said, meeting her green-eyed stare with fiery red-brown one. "I live here, after all."
"You didn't answer my question."
Yahiko shrugged.
"I guess I just wake up early sometimes in the morning, to think and stuff," he replied, looking up at the sky for a second. Then he turned back to Tokio, and spoke a bit heatedly. "Something wrong with a kid trying to have some time to himself, or something?"
Tokio sighed, and then sat down cross-legged on the ground. Yahiko joined her. Finally, he spoke again.
"So I'm guessing you're going out to find Saito, aren't you?" Yahiko asked conversationally.
"Meh… something like that," Tokio replied with a wave of her hand. "I hate that man."
Tokio and Yahiko looked at each other, stunned. They had just said exactly the same sentence.
"Why do you hate him?" Yahiko asked. "I mean, well, it's gotta suck being married to him and all, but 'ya gotta have a better reason than just some sorta domestic dispute or whatever, so what's it?"
"It's none of your business, boy," Tokio replied roughly.
"Well," Yahiko retorted gruffly. "I hate him because he's a snot face, and he tried to beat Kenshin up," Yahiko threw a random rock across the yard. "He's a real jerk sometimes."
"It was my Hajime that helped your Kenshin friend defeat Makoto Shishio, you little punk," Tokio said, also tossing a rock away.
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Yahiko replied softly. "I know you don't hate 'im and stuff- it's just women always gotta make things so complicated for themselves and for all the men in the world. It's the same way with Kenshin and Kaoru. I don't get why Kaoru won't just kiss him for once, and why Kenshin won't just admit how he feels! Or vice versa- hell, it's really annoying. They're a whole bunch of idiots."
Tokio smiled.
"You seem to usually hold this Kenshin man in high revere," Tokio said. "But apparently you've admitted to his stupidity."
Yahiko rounded on Tokio, his eyes flashing. His fist clenched.
"Don't insult Kenshin," he said, glaring.
"Oh?" Tokio said, raising an eyebrow. She felt her anger rising a little. "It's all right for you to insult Hajime but I can't insult Kenshin? That seems very fair, punk!"
"Shut up now, lady," Yahiko said.
"You need manners," Tokio growled.
"So do you!" Yahiko shot back.
"Why you little brat I ought to-" Tokio lunged at Yahiko, and began punching him in the face. But Yahiko wriggled out of her grasp, and then climbed on top of her, pulling at her hair.
"Stop that now!" Tokio replied through a mouthful of grass. She flipped them around, and pinned down Yahiko's leg with both of hers, got on top of him, and started pulling his hair.
Then the two of them started rolling across, shouting curses at each other and fighting as hard as they could.
Then, Kaoru bursts out of her room, alarmed by all of the commotion that was going on.
"What is going on here -?" Kaoru gasped. "Yahiko Myoujin you get off her now!" Kaoru shrieked. The two people would not stop fighting. She put a hand to her mouth in shock, and then hurried down to Kenshin's room.
"Bag of donkey dung-" Yahiko said.
"You little son of a monkey-" Tokio replied, gasping for breath.
"I'm gonna kill you hag-"
"Not if I… kill you first!"
Then they continued their punching and wrestling. Meanwhile, Kaoru had gotten Kenshin. After both decided it'd be best to leave the two alone, they sat down cross-legged on the ground, watching wide-eyed as the two fought it out.
"Who do you think will win?" Kaoru whispered in his ear in a horrified voice.
Kenshin finally decided to get some amusement from the situation, and watched on with shining amethyst eyes.
"I believe it will be a draw, I say," he whispered back. "The two will not stop fighting until both are too tired to continue, that they will not. I cannot see either fully knocking the other unconscious, I say. It would be- uhm- a bit- cruel."
Kaoru's eyes widened when she saw Tokio administer two very hard punches into the ribs of her apprentice. Yahiko groaned, but he refused to give up. He kicked Tokio in the side and sent her pummeling over. After that, neither of them got up, but lay on the grass, bruised, and panting hard. They were too tired even to resume shouting at each other.
"Should we help them?" Kaoru asked, sounding tortured.
"No, I say, they need time to speak," Kenshin replied. Kaoru's eyes widened then she stood up, and stumbled off. Kenshin followed suit a bit more stealthily.
"That…was…" Tokio began. She rolled over, then groaned.
"Painful," Yahiko finished for her. He massaged his ribs. He also let out a loud groan. "I wasn't aware someone so tiny could hit so…hard. You're worst than the hag."
Tokio let out some laughter, and then it degenerated into coughing.
"Ugh," she moaned again. "I feel like I am bruised everywhere."
"You're bruised?" Yahiko asked, struggling to push himself up. Then he fell flat on the ground. Tokio laughed again. Her laughing tempted Yahiko to join in. Soon, both of them were laughing extremely hard, despite the pain it caused, and tears were running down their cheeks.
"Damn you, boy," Tokio replied, finally gaining strength to push herself up into a sitting position after they'd finished laughing. "You shouldn't have attacked me."
Yahiko regarded her with one eye- the other was black and swollen so big that it was shut.
"Yeah," he replied. He was already sitting up, and rubbing a bruise on his knee. "You know I never apologize for anything."
"Neither do I," Tokio said, groaning.
"But- sorry about that," Yahiko said. He abruptly sucked in air at the pain as he tried to inch across the grass.
"Which?" Tokio replied, panting a little. She put a hand to her head. Her scalp burned from all of the boy's hair yanking. "Insulting my husband, or hitting me?"
"You're impossible, Tokio," Yahiko replied seriously.
Tokio grinned at him.
"Sorry, boy," she replied. "I'd rather die than apologize to you, but this is a time for it. Let's shake hands in agreement that we will never let this happen again."
After a lot of painful scooting over to each other, they were close enough to shake hands. They exchanged smiles.
"Deal," Yahiko said.
Despite the terrible state they were in, the handshake was firm and long lasting.
"Ah, my finger!" Tokio cried.
Yahiko released her hand immediately.
"Wha- are you okay?" Yahiko asked.
Tokio smiled at him crookedly.
"Ha- got 'ya, boy," Tokio replied.
"Ah, come on!" Yahiko threw his arm in the air, then regretted it. He let out a cry, then started rubbing that. "I need a hot bath…want to…race for it?"
"Now you're impossible!" Tokio said, glaring at him. "I can hardly move! And who will heat the water?"
Two twin cries for Kenshin Himura split the air at the same time.
* * *
About two or so hours later, Yahiko and Tokio were sitting before Kaoru, clean, and lightly bandaged. Their hostess was pacing back and forth in front of them, and Kenshin sat quietly in the corner, regarding the whole situation with careful eyes.
"Wha -?" Kaoru flipped around to them, then paused in mid-speech, a look of sheer confusion flickering across her dark blue eyes. "Why did you do this?" she finally managed to get out.
Tokio was looking slightly like an innocent little schoolgirl who had just been caught doing something not so innocent. Yahiko was keeping a very straight face. He regarded Kaoru with the eye that wasn't swollen.
"The- argument is fully resolved," Tokio said stiffly. A red flush spread across her face. "I- I have no explanation for this, but I take full responsibility- ouch!" Tokio rubbed her elbow and glared at Yahiko.
"It was my fault," Yahiko began, dark eyes full of gravity. "I started this fight, and I deserve to be punished."
Kaoru looked at them with narrow eyes.
"Well," she said stiffly. "You didn't break anything-" she turned to Tokio. "Other than one of my apprentice's ribs," she said stiffly. Tokio actually fidgeted.
"This is my judgment," Kaoru said. She stood up straight, and stared down at the two injured individuals before her grimly. "Tokio Saito, I express my apologies- you cannot stay at my dojo any longer."
Out from behind an end table, Misao jumped up and let out a whoop of joy. Tokio, suddenly finding her inner resolve, looked at Misao with stone cold eyes. Misao let down her upraised arms, and flustered.
"Um- well- I mean- isn't that a little harsh Kaoru-chan?" she said, letting out a very strained sounding laugh. She stopped immediately when she received Kaoru's rendered version of "The Stare". Kaoru cleared her throat then continued.
"As for you, Yahiko, you are totally grounded," Kaoru said. Yahiko's eyebrows shot up, and his eyes turned to fire. Kaoru continued, cutting him off. "You will also receive no lunch today, and as soon as you're better, you will resume your training. You will be expected to catch up for everything you've missed, and I mean everything. Is that understood?"
"You're crazy-" Yahiko began.
"Eh-hem, Miss Kaoru?" Kenshin began, finally speaking up. Kaoru rounded on him with eyes burning like hot coals. Kenshin put on his classic rurouni grin. "I don't think any of these punishments are, er, necessary, that I do not. You see-" he struggled very hard to ignore the look on Kaoru's face. "The issue is, as Miss Saito has said, resolved. My pardons, but I see no need for you to issue any punishment on these two, I say. They have already gotten they're punishments, that they have. My pardons but- look at them, Miss Kaoru."
Kaoru flipped around and looked the two. She let in a little gasp. She saw what Kenshin was saying- both of them were as bad as the other- Tokio had wrappings on her left wrist, and her right arm was in a cast, having been sprained. Her right ankle was also wrapped. Her lower lip had a small slit on the edge of it, and a large bluish-black bruise was evident on her once faultless cheek. Kaoru turned to Yahiko in disbelief. His knee was in a cast, and his ribs were heavily bandaged. Then, there was his swollen eye- it was blackened and puffed out very large- it would've been worst had Kaoru not treated it.
"But- I- I- was the one who bandaged them," Kaoru's voice trailed off in the end. "I suppose- I suppose I didn't realize they were that bad off."
Kenshin nodded, and carefully hid his relief. His smile gained a little more volume.
"Yes," he replied. "So now you see, I say. You're very smart, Miss Kaoru."
"Don't try and kiss up to me, Kenshin!" Kaoru scolded, her anger momentarily flaring.
Kenshin laughed nervously.
"Sessha never meant to, erhm, what you said, Miss Kaoru," he replied.
Kaoru folded her arms in front of her chest, and mused softly to herself. Misao's eyes were shut tight, and her fingers were crossed.
"Misao stop doing that!" Kaoru yelled.
Misao stopped and slunk into the corner.
"All right," Kaoru said finally. She sighed. "No punishments- but I meant what I said about practice, Yahiko!"
Yahiko fell over anime style.
"Thank you," Tokio said, sounding relieved. Then her eyes widened. "I was going to find Hajime today…"
"Absolutely not-" Kaoru said. "That's totally out of the question. You're hurt, Tokio, and you're not going anywhere."
Before Tokio could object, Sanosuke entered the house. He looked at everyone.
"What's going on here?" he asked.
Misao explained it all to him in very fast talk.
"Hey, hey, you can shut up now, I got it!" he replied gruffly.
Misao fumed.
"Saito's not there, anyway," Sanosuke said.
"What do you mean?" Tokio demanded.
"He shipped out to another city just today- he had to meet with another police chief about some 'urgent matters'," Sanosuke replied. "I read it in the paper."
Tokio heaved a very large, exasperated sigh.
"Uh, well, what's for breakfast?" Sanosuke asked.
Everyone groaned.
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gip-k's Post Chapter Statements: -Yes, that generally sucked! _ I will try harder to gain you attention in the next chapter, okay. (Gonk) I had no reviewers for the last chapter. (Cries) Okay, okay, I'll shut up and stop whining! Serves me right… I need to make this a decent fanfiction!
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