Chapter 6: Scheduling Conflicts
A large rumble snapped her eyes open. "Wh… what?" She asked in shock, raising her head up off Yahiko's shoulder. The sky had warmed to an evening glow, and most of the men seemed to be tired.
"You dozed off about an hour ago," Sano said.
"Yeah," Yahiko said disgustedly, rubbing at a drool spot on his shirt.
She blushed in embarrassment. "How far from Tokyo did we go?"
"Not too far, actually," Sanosuke said. "We just had to go slowly as to not look suspicious."
"What, are there spies in the forests?" She asked.
"You never know. We have to be discreet," Yahiko said.
"EVERYONE OUT!" One of the men shouted.
"Well, that's discreet," Kaoru joked, and the three of them snickered as they clambered out last.
All the warriors gathered in a circle around Shoji, Kenshin, Aoshi, and Saitou.
Was it just her, or did Aoshi look suspicious?
"Everyone welcome," Shoji said, smirking.
Kaoru looked around. More like not welcome… It was a big clearing of dying grass, surrounded by large, ugly trees and shrubbery. To her left was the entrance to a temple with cracked stone steps that led up quite far. The temple from a distance looked fairly nice, give or take a paint job, and this temple sat four stories high. The ugly trees, however, still were taller than it.
"This…" Shoji said, "is where you will be spending every day."
Everyone looked at each other except for Kaoru who, in her still girlish ways, was picking pieces of straw out of her hair. To think that just hours ago she had been clean and pretty. Now she was dirty and grimy. It was incredible how fast men… or someone pretending to be one… could get nasty.
"Every day… We're not sleeping outside, are we?" She asked.
"Oh, COOL! We can have a camp out!" Sano exclaimed.
Everyone looked at him.
"I… didn't say that out loud…"
"Right," Shoji said. "Okay then… Moving on…"
So, this is the place I'll be calling home, hm? She thought, looking around. These are the people… err… just guys I guess… These are the men I'm spending every day with…Normally someone would be scared but… my family is here… She smiled warmly. Seeing them is all I need.
"You will all be sleeping in the temple up there. Each team has a floor, going from the bottom to the third. I will be on the fourth floor. As for you, the floor you sleep on depends on the schedule you will be keeping."
"Schedule?" She asked.
"Shh…" Sano whispered.
"The schedule," Shoji went on, "consists of the time one team gets up and the time the team quits for bath and dinner. Just because you look like a bunch of apes doesn't mean I have to smell you."
Kaoru pouted. She thought she looked much better than an ape… but then again, there were a few men there that really did…
"The team on the bottom will be awakened at four o' clock. They shall train until six in the evening, then go to the bath and be given an hour there before returning for dinner. The team on the second floor will be awakened at five. They will train until seven, and return by eight for dinner. The team on the third floor will be awakened at six. They will train until eight, go bathe, and be back for dinner by nine. Once dinner is completed, they are to go straight to bed. Failure to comply may result in punishment if your team leader wishes."
"-but why is there a schedule? Why can't it all be done at the same time?" Yahiko asked.
"Well," Shoji said. "We have to give time for the rice to cook, and the hot springs aren't big enough for all of you." His voice was dripping with irritability, as if they should already know all of this.
"Oh…" Yahiko murmured.
"The baths and dinner will be your relaxation point. Sake will be served at both, and you may associate with others. As for sleeping, we've provided futons for you all along with blankets. We've also brought soap for those who have forgotten."
"Who could possibly forget soap?" Kaoru asked.
"Um… I did," Sano said, checking his bag.
"Me too," Yahiko said.
Kaoru grimaced. These were the people she was living with.
"On the scene, we will also have a doctor, in case any shenanigans take place," Shoji said as someone approached from behind him. "Takani Megumi is our physician, and if you fail to respect her, punishment will be given."
The crowd whispered excitedly about the fact that there was an actual GIRL there. Kaoru rolled her eyes.
Megumi stood strongly next to Shoji. "If you would all please follow me up into the temple," Shoji said. "I will explain further from there."
Everyone did as they were told.
-
If the outside was dull and ugly, this place was shoddier. All of the wood was gray and the rice paper doors were pale. The floor was covered with dust and had small holes from mice and bug homes. A flight of stairs led to the next floor and onward. Behind the stairs was a sliding door that led to another room. The other room was for the team leader.
Megumi opened the door to the leader's room and talked mutedly with Shoji.
"Before we begin," Shoji then said, "we will be requiring your physical information as well. Everyone will be getting a full body physical."
"WHAT!" Kaoru yelped out, turning as white as a ghost.
"Oh, look! He's modest!" One of the men joked, and the others immediately joined in laughing at her.
Her face went from white to red, and she shrank into herself, tears brimming at her eyes. Being laughed at was terrible, and it seemed as if she was the center of all our jokes.
Just when she was about to smack herself to prevent herself from crying, a soft hand touched her shoulder.
"Maa, it's all right…"
She looked up and gave a small smile. Kenshin… He was always so good with his entrances.
"Don't mind them. It's only natural for some to pick on the little guy, and you're incredibly shy," Kenshin said, touching her face. His hands, though callused as they were, were so wonderful on her skin.
"I'm… I'm sorry," She muttered.
"Don't be sorry," He giggled. "Sessha was once a shy boy too, back when he was younger… Of course, that was before sessha went into the war."
"Kenshin… I mean, Himura-san, sir," She said, beaming. "Thank you."
He nodded, and there was a certain vacuity in the way he did it. It was then that she noticed something else about him. He was wearing his blue gi now, and his ponytail had been tied high up on his head. Her smile faded at the realization that he was already looking more like Battousai and less like the man she loved.
"Don't…" He said. "Don't let it get you down. You can be stronger if you believe."
She looked down at the floor and blushed. "I'll believe… I-if you believe… Himura-san… sir…"
"Sessha's never had a doubt in his mind that you'll go far."
Her blush deepened.
"Everyone line up for your physical! -and don't be stupid about it!" Shoji yelled.
Now Kaoru remembered the problem at hand. Oh, no… What am I going to do…! There are a few things I have… and don't have… that they're bound to realize don't belong in the male category! She wrung her hands into her hair. Must… do…something… BUT WHAT! WHAT DO I DO NOW!
The first man walked into the leader's room with Megumi, and then… something happened that made Kaoru sigh in relief… Megumi shut the door.
She was shoved into line along with a few others. The only three people behind her were the leaders by order of Saitou, Kenshin, and then Aoshi. Saitou was looking quite happy to be where he was while Kenshin seemed angry at the world. Aoshi just looked bored with the whole thing.
"So…" Saitou said, not moving his eyes to make anyone know whom he was addressing. "Himura."
She turned her head back around and pretended she wasn't listening.
"You seem a bit attached to that rurouni side of you. I would give it up right away. We are at war you know…"
"We are not at war yet," Kenshin said, narrowing his eyes.
"What if you're put in a position where-"
Kenshin interrupted. "I will kill if I find it necessary, Saitou."
He didn't say 'sessha'… Kaoru thought, clutching her heart. I can't lose him…I still have a chance, right?
She shook her head to release the ideas tumbling around in her head and concentrated task in sight. Yes, Megumi was allowing privacy to all of the men, but knowing her and her kitsune ways, she'd rat her out as soon as she saw her chest and her… well… Kaoru had to think of something… but to suddenly actually become a man was quite impossible especially in the short amount of time she had to come up with something. Besides, if she was a boy, Kenshin wouldn't like her the way she liked him. Idle thoughts, idle thoughts… She was wasting her brain power by letting it wander so easily.
My brain is more of a rurouni than Kenshin is, She said to herself, chewing on her lower lip. I need to do something… but I can't run away, and I can't just skip out… Everyone is watching… what do I do? MOM, DAD! I NEED YOUR HELP NOW!
A panic was slowly starting to rise in her chest, and she placed her hand against it to calm herself down. I need to cool down. I can't think straight when I'm all nervous… There's got to be a simple solution to this problem…
She ran her hands through her hair slowly and let her bangs tumble back onto her brow. I wish that everyone would just leave right now…I'd even hope for war if it got me out of this mess… She stopped and looked around suspiciously. I'd better be careful what I wish for! Kaoru, you idiot! You want to protect Kenshin, and that is the worst way to do it, you idiot! She scolded herself, furrowing her eyebrows.
She sighed and looked around, getting the disgusting place into her memory. Was that mold she smelled? She grimaced and tried not to think about it.
The line slowly dwindled down as others met with Shoji and his officers to get their futons and find a place on their floors to sleep. Several of them marched up the stairs while others picked nearby spots to put their beds. Some napped while others talk, but Kaoru just trembled nervously.
All too soon her time arrived.
Megumi opened the door and let her in, then closed it quietly.
No idea had come to Kaoru, and she was feeling seriously out of luck. Megumi's eyes were upon her as she sat down and lifted a pad of paper that Kaoru had seen before.
"What's your name?"
"K--- K… Kasuhige Kahei…" She managed to sputter out.
"Ah…" Megumi said, flipping through the pages until she found the page she was looking for. "Do you have any diseases, health problems?"
"Um… no…" She muttered. So far, so good.
"Have you been recently injured?"
"N-no…" She said. Not physically…
"All right…" Megumi said, writing the information down. "Take off your clothes for me, please."
"YEEK!" Kaoru yelped out, holding her shirt tightly.
"You don't have to be nervous. I've seen naked men before," Megumi said. "I'm a doctor. I'm a professional who's seen it all."
"I really don't think you've seen any man like this," Kaoru squeaked.
"I'm sure I have," Megumi responded, looking rather agitated at her lack of cooperation.
"No… No, you could never have seen a man like this." She began removing her shirt very hesitantly.
"What do you have that every other guy doesn't?" Megumi asked, rolling her eyes.
"Well…" Kaoru said, grabbing hold of the bandages and carefully pushing them off of her chest, revealing her breasts. "These, for example…"
Megumi's eyes widened with shock. "You're a… hermaphrodite!"
"Nope," Kaoru said, removing her pants. "Girl."
Megumi's eyes widened even more, if possible.
"OH, MY GOD!" She screeched.
The men outside all looked up in suspicion.