Kenjutsu Beauty

Chapter Two

"First sightings"

Yahiko was outside with his hands submerged in a large bucket of suds, while Kaoru was practicing her katas in the yard beside him. Maybe I should ask her to teach me, then I wouldn't have to do such girly chores. It doesn't look too hard, maybe I can learn on my own by watching. Then I could ask her and surprise her with how good I am!

It was just that thought that caused his hands to stop working with the clothes and a blank stare to appear on his face as he visualized how the match would go. Kaoru standing there in the middle of the dojo facing me, her opponent. We bow to each other before Sano gives the signal and we start to circle each other. She comes close to hit me with her bokken but I sidestep and hit her back. She falls to the ground. Score one for me. She gets back up and we move into position and Sano gives the signal again. This time she waits for me to come to her, and I do so happily. She doges and tries to counter but I leap and spin in the air tapping her on the shoulder. Score two for me. The crowd goes wild! They are all chanting my name! Yahiko! Yahiko! Yahiko!

"Yes! Yahiko wins again!" he yelled out into the dojo yard startling Kaoru out of her concentration and causing her to falter in her stepand then in turn caused her to fall on the ground. She glared up at Yahiko as she rubbed her behind.It took only a second for her to get off the ground and produce her bokken, with which she immediately went to hit him over the head as hard as she could.

"Baka, what did you think you were doing! You completely ruined my concentration I could have hurt a lot more than my bum!"

If Yahiko hadn't been on the ground with serious head trauma he would have been blushing, or even laughing. Instead, they heard someone else laughing. Sano was not even trying to cover up his laughter as he walked through the gate. Oh, it felt so good to Sano being able to count on their light hearted banter. Just as he thought, it'd make anyone feel better.

Kaoru was still standing there deciding whether or not to go after Sano too when she heard Yahiko ask, "Hey Sano, who's the girl?"

Kaoru, wondering what he was talking about, was looking around for 'the girl' when she spotted a very beautiful, tall dark haired woman standing respectfully behind Sano.

"Yes Sano, who is she?" Kaoru asked. She had never seen her around before.

"This is Miss Takani. I won, but the guy couldn't pay up so I got her instead. Sorry but she'll have to stay here for a little while." Sano answered winking at Kaoru. He was trying to convey to her that he needed to talk without Yahiko around, but she just didn't seem to understand his cues. Man, this could get ugly.

"Yahiko," Kaoru said as she marched up to Sano, "You finish the laundry Sano and I need to have a little chat!" As she reached Sano she shoved him back out the gate and closed it firmly behind her. "What do you think you're doing Sano? That's like slavery! You can't just take people--" her tirade was cut short as her jabbing finger was grabbed before it could hit Sano again and he tried to make his plea before she could begin again.

"Listen Jou-chan! It's not like that! I couldn't tell you what's going on in front of Yahiko. She's in trouble and I didn't want to get him involved!" Sano said gasping for breath. Being a male, he couldn't sprout whole sentences without breathing like Kaoru could.

Luckily Kaoru stopped and looked at him seeming a little startled.

"Trouble?" she asked tilting her head to one side, "She's in trouble?"

Sano was about to explain a few things, of course leaving some out, when Kaoru suddenly jumped up.

"Then we have to help her!"

She started to run back into the dojo when Sano called out, "Don't you want to know what kind of trouble she's in?"

That stopped her in her tracks. She turned and looked at him right in the eyes. "I didn't ask you about your past did I?"

Sano stared at her as if she was crazy. "That's because I told you! It's different!"

Kaoru started to laugh and walked back into the dojo, Sano following closely behind, muttering under his breath … something about crazy women being too trusting.

When Kaoru got back into the dojo, she told Yahiko to go sweep the dojo floors and then asked Megumi to follow her. "Miss Takani, I would be happy to help you can stay as long as you need to. I will show you where you'll be staying and we can take your things up there …" Kaoru paused as she noticed that Miss Takani didn't have any things. "Don't you have anything? Extra clothes maybe?"

Megumi looked at her for a second not sure what Kaoru was getting at before replying. "I was running away, I couldn't …"

Kaoru stopped her mid-sentence.

"Wait! Say no more! That only means one thing … we have to go shopping!" she said excitedly, before she started rambling off a list of things Megumi would need. "We should go right away, and Sano should come too, to help us carry everything. Hmm, we'll have to get you a few kimono first…"

"Miss, really that's not necessary, I don't think I'll be staying that long" Megumi said trying to close the floodgates. "You don't have to get me anything."

Kaoru wasn't going to give up a shopping spree that easily though and soon Megumi was pushed out the dojo gates and down the street with Sano following them and watching for any of Megumi's would-be attackers.

They didn't even get halfway there before a guy from the gambling hall came running up to Sano, "There you are Sano! I've been looking all over the place!"

The two girls stopped and waited for Sano as he tended to his friend. They couldn't help overhearing some of what was said.

"Shuu what's wrong? Weren't you taking Gin and the others to the doctor?" Sano said sounding a little worried.

Shuu nods and tries to explain. "They're fine they're going to pull through." Sano gave a sigh of relief thinking the worst was over, "That's good." But it wasn't.

"It's something worse than that. Come with me." Shuu said beginning to run away.

Sano looked back to the girls and shrugged then started to follow Shuu. They finally stopped when they came to a crowd gathered by the river. They were all watching as the police fished two bodies out of the water. Kaoru was stunned, "It's terrible. Who were they?"

Sano looked at Megumi then nodded to the bodies. "Weren't those Kanryuu's soldiers from before?"

Megumi seemed as though she was not even bothered by it.

"That's the way Kanryuu works. He doesn't tolerate those who fail him. He cuts them down."

They were all just standing there staring at the scene when a sudden thought hit Kaoru. "Wait, we're going against Kanryuu! Just what kind of trouble are you in?" she asked before she left her mouth hanging open to stare at Megumi.

Sano just ruffled her hair, "See, Jou-chan? I told you it would be good to know what you were up against."

Across the river the Okashira of the Oniwabanshu, Aoshi, was standing with his employer and Beshimi when he spotted Megumi. She was with another girl and a man.

"Beshimi," he said without looking at him. "The man who scared off Kanryuu's soldiers, is that him with the red headband and white jacket?"

Beshimi looked all over the crowd trying to find him and when he finally did spot him his blood began to boil.

"That jerk! And Megumi's here too! All right this time I'll kill him!"

He was just waiting for the signal to go when Kanryuu so pleasantly stated "A quarrel with this human trash might be trouble."

Aoshi nodded his head slightly before telling Beshimi to leave the guy for now.

"Do you know who the other girl is?" he asked Beshimi.

Beshimi was a little surprised by the question though he knew he shouldn't have been. As the Okashira of the oniwaban it was his job to ask questions and know everything.

"No, she wasn't with them earlier," he answered. Aoshi appeared thoughtful before saying anything else.

"Hmm, if they're here it means Hanya will be here too. Hanya?" he asked already knowing he'd be there.

"Yes?" replied a voice that seemed to comefrom nowhere.

"Have you found out where they live?" Aoshi said his eyes never leaving the trio.

"Yes. It was no trouble at all."

"Alright, you'll assist Beshimi in recapturing Megumi. Tell this to Hyotoko too."

"Roger."

"You understand Beshimi? I'll not tolerate any more failures." This time he did look at Beshimi.

"I'll … I'll remember that." After that Hanya left to continue to watch Megumi, and Beshimi went to go find Hyotoko.

Kanryuu and Aoshi were left watching the crowd.

"Our Okashira is a humanitarian." Kanryuu said with a little distaste. Aoshi wasn't phased.

"Does it seem so?" Aoshi said. He appeared to be watching his surroundings but in reality he was a little distracted. Kanryuu noticed though. Kanryuu noticed that his eyes never left the same spot.

"She makes you wonder who she is, doesn't she? Why is she following two people who are in trouble. Does she even know? Will she be around when your men attack?" Kanryuu asked with an evil smirk.

"No." Aoshi said. "She doesn't." Though he knew he was lying.

Back on the other side of the river, Megumi was feeling a little bit paranoid. There she was out in the open when she was supposed to be running away. Anyone could have figured out the danger of her situation.

She was just getting ready to ask if they could go when she spotted him. "Kanryuu!" she said just loud enough for Sano and Kaoru to hear. They both looked to where she was staring and recognized him.

"Yeah that's him no doubt." Sano said, sticking a fish bone in his mouth. Kaoru nodded and noticed Aoshi standing to his right.

"Who's that other guy?" she asked.

"That's the Okashira of the Oniwabanshu. The leader of a group of former spies. He works for Kanryuu separately. They were just hired recently." Megumi answered for her.

Kaoru was about to make a reply when she caught Aoshi looking right at her. Her breath caught in her throat as she held his gaze. Why is he looking at me? she asked herself as she stared at him. Wait, why am I looking at him?

She was going to stop herself from watching him watch her when he said something to the other guy and walked away. She turned to Sano and announced: "We have to help Megumi!"

"First sightings: End"

AN: Thanks everyone for your comments, it really helps.