Warnings: AU. (very) Unbeta-ed. Potty-mouth language, suggestion of adult themes.

Kaoru approached the front gate for the second time today, her bokken resting on her right shoulder as she stopped a few feet away. The knock on her door so late in the evening was rather suspicious. But then again, everything today had been rather suspicious. "Who's there?" she called out.

"It's me, Missy, Sano. Open up, willya?"

Kaoru blinked twice. Why was he back? What could he possibly want from them now? Perhaps to demand a favor in return for his kind gesture earlier today. She frowned as her mind began whirling on the possibilities of what he would ask. Surely … She flushed. Surely he wouldn't be so cruel to ask for her in payment, would he? He had genuinely seemed to want to help her but Kaoru wasn't so innocent to believe that favors were given out without expectations of returning it.

The familiar weight of her bokken comforted her as she unconsciously tightened her grip on the hilt. Well, Sagara Sanosuke could go ahead and try it! Kaoru would teach him a lesson that would cause him to think twice before taking advantage of poor, helpless women!

She stared hard at the door, not hearing Yahiko approach until he asked in an irritated voice, "Aren't you going to at least answer him?"

Startled, Kaoru blinked and glanced at her student who had his own weapon secured at his back. She frowned upon noticing the muddy spots on his once-clean hakama; why couldn't he have at least tried to avoid the puddles if he was going to prance around outside? She hated doing the laundry with a passion and mud stains were the worst.

Seeing his teacher still not move from her rooted position, Yahiko rolled his eyes and muttered something about busu girls who couldn't even open a door. He marched past her and slid the bolt free from the gate before swinging it open. "What do you want?" he demanded.

Sano grinned down at the youth who was glaring belligerently at him. "Is that how you greet all your guests? No wonder this dojo only has one student. You guys really need to work on your people skills." He easily crowded Yahiko back until he could step inside the courtyard. Glancing around the area briefly, he nodded in approval. "Nice place. You could probably get a lot of money if you ever want to sell it."

Kaoru frowned briefly at Yahiko for allowing the stranger to enter. Sano was probably here to demand repayment. And really, what did a fading dojo have to offer except a bratty student and one beautiful assistant master? It didn't take much intelligence, even from an innocent girl like Kaoru, to know what he wanted. "Forget it, I'm not selling," she said flatly. "Why are you here?"

"Maybe you should consider it," Sano said as if not hearing her question. He ventured further inside to study the intricate carvings on the roof. "You could make a lot of money, get out of the City, maybe start new elsewhere where there isn't a Takeda around to bother you."

It was more in the tone of his voice than his words that stirred a vague prickle of unease within Kaoru. "This dojo has been in my family for generations. I'm not going to give it up now, especially since Takeda has been taken care of." She watched him carefully for any kind of reaction to her words.

An awkward smile dawned on the street fighter's lips as he lifted a hand to the back of his head sheepishly. "Uh, yeah. About that Takeda part …"

"You said everything was taken care of," Yahiko said, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Well, it was. But then … you know, things happen and all."

All thoughts of him wanting repayment vanished. Kaoru stared hard at Sano, resisting the urge to whack him with her bokken. Her hand twitched from the effort to hold back. It would only take one motion to bring her wooden sword up and down on the rooster's head … "What kind of things?"

"Ehehe, you know. Things." Sano gestured vaguely with his free hand, looking even more uncomfortable.

"Just tell us already!" Yahiko yelled. "You screwed up, didn't you? I knew we shouldn't have trusted him," the youth muttered to himself.

"Hey, I didn't mess anything up," Sano said defensively. "It's just that Takeda suddenly started asking questions about you guys." He sighed, wishing he could have found a good way to tell them the truth that wouldn't involve two swords flattening his head. The only thing he could do was tell them bluntly. "He's coming over tomorrow. He wants to see you two."

Kaoru felt as if the earth beneath her feet had suddenly disappeared and she was falling hundred of feet in mid-air. Her heart stopped beating for excruciating seconds while her stomach leapt up to lodge in her throat. "Takeda's … coming here?" she croaked out. For some reason, she didn't think it was to thank them for their 'contribution' to the guild.

Yahiko bent Sano a disgusted look. The gesture coming from a ten-year old didn't make the older man feel any better. "Good job, baka."

"It's not my fault!" Sano protested loudly. "He's never done this before. How was I supposed to know he'd get all weird and do this? Believe me, if I had thought …" He shook his head and sighed. Defending himself was useless, not with what else he had to say. "Um, there's more."

"More? You're just full of good news, aren't you?" Yahiko sniped.

"What is it?" Kaoru asked quietly. She was watching them both, her expression carefully blank.

The look didn't suit her and Sano was slightly unsettled. What had happened to the fiery girl who had been ready to defend her student and dojo from three thugs? "Kenshin is accompanying him along with the two gems you met earlier today."

There was silence for a long moment before Kaoru drew in a deep breath. "Kenshin? Himura Kenshin?"

Drat. Sano had been hoping Kenshin's reputation hadn't spread this far yet. So much for that. "Yeah. You heard of him, I guess."

Yahiko rolled his eyes. "Duh. Who hasn't? He's only the greatest swordsman in the world!"

"But what is he doing with someone like Takeda?" Kaoru mused out loud.

Sano shrugged. It wasn't his place to reveal his friend's secrets. "So anyway, what are we going to do?"

"We" Yahiko echoed, glaring at Sano. "Don't you mean you? After all, you created this whole mess in the first place!"

Before the street fighter could argue back, Kaoru interrupted them. "There's no point in putting the blame on people now, Yahiko. We have to figure out what we're going to do first. Shut the door and let's get back to the house. We might as well get comfortable while we decide on a plan."

- - -

It was inside when Sano was first introduced to Kaoru's half-burnt rice cakes. The other half was too tough to even bite through. He sat on the tatami, poking the snack half-heartedly while Yahiko picked his up and tossed the whole thing in his mouth.

Sano stared at the youth who was chewing it, albeit rather oddly thanks to the hard chunks. In response to the unasked question, Yahiko shrugged. "You get used to it," he said between chewing. The street fighter guessed it was only the strong stomach of the young that could take such an awful taste and live through it.

"They're not that bad!" Kaoru scowled. She, too, bit into the rice cake. Sano watched with interest as her eyes bugged out and she turned to politely spit the barely dented food out of her mouth. Grabbing the tea which was too weak and lukewarm at best, she gulped it down to cleanse her palate from the horrible taste. "Okay, they're not my finest," she said weakly, "but I never really found time to hone my cooking skills."

"You were too busy training, I guess," Sano said, glancing around the house. Though it revealed obvious signs of wear, the structure itself was so well-built he wouldn't be surprised it would be standing long after the rest of the City fell apart.

"That's right," Kaoru said, rather surprised at his frank tone. Unlike most people, she didn't detect any censure that a woman would learn the art of the sword. "Generations of my family were samurai but it was my father who created the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu after the Daimyo's War. He had seen the carnage and chaos fighting created and he wanted to stop it. That's why he taught his students about the Sword that Gives Life."

"Interesting philosophy," Sano said, leaning back on his hands. He thought it was also terribly naïve but who was he to disparage another man's ideals? "Okura said that your father was killed not too long ago …?"

A shadow crossed Kaoru's eyes and she nodded. Even Yahiko bowed his head in respect the fallen man. "He was killed while defending some people who were attacked by bandits on the Tokkaido Trail. They outnumbered him seven to one but my father wasn't one to stand aside while someone was being bullied." In the light, her azure eyes warred with mixed emotions: anger, sadness, and pride. "He died a hero. Thanks to him, the people managed to escape with their lives, at least."

So that was why Kaoru refused to give in to Okura and Michiko. She was trying to keep her father's principles alive by standing firm, even with the odds against her. Sano felt a wave of pity and admiration move in his heart. It was amazing just how brave one young woman could be.

"Kamiya-sensei was the best," Yahiko declared, swallowing his tea and making only the barest of grimaces. "But the other students left because they couldn't see he died fighting for his ideals. All they saw was a dead man and thought if the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu couldn't save his life, it couldn't save theirs, either."

Kaoru sent Yahiko a fond look when the boy wasn't looking. It was obvious that they were close despite the insults and bickering. "Yahiko here was the only one who stayed after Father died. He was the youngest student and definitely not the most talented but …" She reached out to ruffle his dark hair affectionately. "I guess he'll do."

Offended by both the gesture and her words, Yahiko twisted out of the way. "Please, Busu, you're lucky that I chose to stay and be taught by you."

Kaoru narrowed her eyes at the youth, all signs of care disappearing as if it had never been there in the first place. "And what is that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

"It means that you should be thanking me for swallowing my pride and let a girl teach me." He made the word sound as if it was obscene.

Her eyes flashing with anger, Kaoru leaned closer to Yahiko. "Perhaps you forgot this girl could beat you with one hand tied behind her back. And maybe you also didn't realize that this girl is also your teacher." She leaned back, a satisfied smile curving her lips upwards. "Be prepared to suffer in your next practice session, Yahiko."

The youth scowled and jammed another rice cake in his mouth before he said something that would make it worse for him. He already knew Kaoru was relentless when it came to training and more often than not, he was aching and bruised by the end of the day.

Sano waved a hand to gather their attention. "Hey, I hate to cut short your bonding time, but we should focus on what to do tomorrow." He eyed Kaoru speculatively. "You know, a skilled kendo instructor is always needed elsewhere. Maybe you really should consider selling the dojo and moving out of the City. This place will get you more than enough money to settle down somewhere far away and start over again."

Even as he spoke, Sano saw Kaoru's protest and denial rising in her azure eyes. "I'm not going to give up my family's dojo just because Takeda Kanryu thinks he can bully me around. It's bad enough that we have to give him protection money just to be left in peace but I won't dishonor my father's memory by doing exactly what he wouldn't do."

Sano sighed again. "I figured you'd say that." It had been a half-hearted suggestion at best. After learning more about the Missy, he realized getting her to budge from this place would be as impossible as getting Kenshin to give up his sword. Well, there weren't any other options left; it looked like they were going to have to fight their way through this. "Look, this is what's going to happen. Tomorrow, Takeda is going to show up with Kenshin, Okura, Michiko, and his doctor, a woman named Takani Megumi. He'll talk a lot about the guild and how important it is to help one another, blah blah blah. You know, the usual BS. But in reality, he's here to make an example out of you guys, which means it'll end up in a fight. Once he wins, he'll inform the other businesses that if they don't continue to pay, what happened to the Kamiya Dojo will happen to them." Sano glanced at them both, noting the suddenly serious expressions on their face as they listened to him. "Takeda always lets his goons fight for him so he'll stand by and watch if a battle occurs. Megumi doesn't know how to fight either, and I doubt she would even if she had to. You know, a doctor's oath and all that. So all we have to worry about really, is Kenshin, Okura and Michiko."

"I've got Pig-Man," Yahiko said instantly.

"You are not getting involved in this," Kaoru informed him. "I know you're not going to leave the dojo even if I throw you out so you're going to stay in your room until everything is over."

Yahiko snorted and crossed his arms across his chest. "Yeah, right, Busu. I'd like to see you make me try. And you can't threaten me with more practice, either. What good is that threat if you're dead?"

Kaoru had no response to that. Sano watched them for a moment before looking at her. "Even if Okura and Michiko aren't seasoned fighters like Kenshin, they're still more than you can handle by yourself. I'm not insulting your skills," he added hastily, seeing her eyes narrow. "But no matter how good you are with that bokken, they're still men who are stronger than you and won't hesitate to take advantage of any weakness you have."

"The Kamiya Kasshin Ryu pits our opponent's strength against them. We don't rely on just the physical," Kaoru said crisply.

"As great as that sounds, we're talking about street fighters, remember? They'll do whatever they can to win, even if it means breaking your neck in the process." Sano glanced at the youth who was attempting to crumble a rice cake apart with the force of his glare alone. "One will be enough for you, Missy. And if you do happen to best Okura, you can run over and help Yahiko with Michiko. Besides, if you don't let him do this, aren't you really declaring you don't trust how well you've trained him?"

It was perhaps a low blow but Sano refused to let Kaoru shoulder the burden with more than she could handle. He had no doubt she could hold her own but two men at once would overwhelm her. Yahiko, as small as he was, could at least help distract Michiko until they could regroup together.

Kaoru's lips pressed together in a thin line, frowning at Sano. But Yahiko looked up and smiled triumphantly at his teacher. "Just you wait, Busu. I'll finish with the fat guy and help you with your opponent."

"Don't count on it," she muttered but finally nodded her consent. No matter how much she didn't want to, Kaoru realized that she was going to have to let Yahiko grow up eventually. She just didn't realize it would be so soon.

Shaking her morose thoughts away, Kaoru looked at Sano. "I guess you'll be fighting Kenshin."

Sano nodded. "We've fought once before and I lost. But this time, it'll be different."

It was startling to see a feral grin on his lips. Kaoru and Yahiko exchanged glances, realizing that the glint in his chocolate eyes was eagerness. Apparently, their unexpected ally was relishing the thought of the coming battle.

"Is that why you're helping us? To fight Kenshin?" Kaoru asked.

Blinking in surprise at the question, Sano stared at her blankly for a moment. "No. I thought I owed it to you to warn you." He offered a crooked smile. "I guess, in a way, I was responsible for Takeda's attention on you. Michiko and Okura figured out what I was doing and ratted to him."

Kaoru shook her head; she had never met a man whose actions were so contradicting. "I don't understand you," she said. "You work for someone like Takeda but you offer to help instead of fighting us. Then you come back to tell us he's coming and decide to stand with us. Why?"

Sano smiled lazily and leaned back on his arms. "Why not?"

She furrowed her brows at his nonchalant response. "That's not a reason!"

He grinned, amused at Kaoru's frustration. No one had ever questioned his motives before and it was rather entertaining to see someone turning red from his vague answers. He would have to test this on Megumi and see if she reacted the same way. "Look, Missy, it's not that hard. I'm a fighter. I fight for a living. And right now, I happen to dislike my current boss. Fighting against him isn't that big of a deal for me. I can always find another employer."

Kaoru stared at Sano hard for a long moment before shaking her head. "There's another reason than that. If you disliked Takeda so much then you'd quit and find another job. But there's something there that's keeping you tied to him."

Surprised at her uncanny perception, Sano merely shrugged. "Probably. But that's not important right now. I suggest you two get some sleep. If tomorrow goes according to what I think is going to happen, we're going to need our strength."

The first streaks of light ribboned across the dark horizon, lighting the clouds up in a rich shade of pastels. As the fingers of the sun slowly rose from its slumber, it bathed the land in a flush of color. Kaoru watched as the sun finally peeped up from the east, enjoying what she hoped wasn't her last dawn.

She felt Yahiko step next to her, uncharacteristically taking the time to admire the sky blush a rosy hue, leaving streaks of bright colors in its wake as it streamed across the heavens. When the breathtaking display finally vanished under the burning rays of the sun, she turned to her student. "Ready for breakfast?"

Yahiko made a face. "Yeah, I guess," he said unenthusiastically.

Kaoru turned and headed towards the kitchen. "You're going to have to eat if you insist on fighting," she said over her shoulder. "Is Sanosuke up?"

The youth snorted. "He fell asleep exactly where we left him last night. I thought he said he was going to patrol the area to make sure Takeda wasn't going to send any surprises our way."

"He might have just fallen asleep there after …" Kaoru skidded to a halt, staring at the kitchen in disbelief. Her once orderly cooking area was now suffused with discarded skins of potatoes, an empty bucket of tofu, and dirty pots, all empty. But what really made her boil was seeing a familiar wrapping poking out from beneath the pared skins of the vegetable. It was her secret stash of chocolate that she had received for her birthday just before her father had died. It was by far the most expensive and delicious thing she had ever gotten and treasured it deeply. But now it was all gone.

Storming away from the disarray of the kitchen, Kaoru marched over to Sano who was curled up on his side, snoring peacefully. A lone, empty bowl was next to him where he had eaten his meal. A trace of something brown was smeared at the corner of his lips.

That sight infuriated Kaoru like nothing else had. Takeda and Himura Kenshin had nothing over Sano eating her precious birthday gift. She had been saving it for a special occasion. Today might have been a good day to eat it but now she couldn't because the baka rooster-head sleeping in her dining room floor had already gotten there before her.

Taking a deep breath, Kaoru leaned forward and yelled, "Sagara Sanosuke, you are dead!"

From the safety of the other side of the room, fairly close to an exit, Yahiko winced as he watched his teacher lose her temper. He felt sorry for Sano but not sorry enough to leave. Not when the good part was going to happen.

Sano woke up with a start, his ear ringing with the force of the yell. "Huh, what?" he asked sleepily. When he saw Kaoru's thunderous expression, he jolted awake. Uh oh, he had meant to clean everything up after he finished eating but sleep had beckoned so strongly … "Uh, I can explain," he said hastily, trying to ease back from the angry woman. Her fury was so strong it radiated from her ki like a blazing coil of light.

"Oh yes, do explain why you ate my food and my chocolate," she said sarcastically.

Ooooh, the chocolate. Sano had found the dessert completely by accident while he was searching for a utensil to stir the soup he was making. The rare sweet was so tempting he couldn't help but have a taste. But, of course, who could resist chocolate for long? After realizing he had eaten it, he felt guilty. But he could replace it before Kaoru could notice it was gone. After all, she would probably be too preoccupied about today to focus on chocolate.

Apparently, he was wrong.

"I'll buy you another one," he offered frantically. "I've got the money, you know." Abandoning all pretense of subtly, Sano scrambled backwards on his hands and feet like a crab. "Lots of it! I'll buy you lots of chocolate!"

Unfortunately, Kaoru didn't seem to be swayed by his words. She matched him move for move, stalking him while her eyes darkened in anger. "That chocolate," she said through gritted teeth, "was a birthday gift from my father."

Sano would have smacked himself on the head had he thought he could do so while continuing to move away from the furious woman. "Oh. Uh, sorry," he said lamely. He obviously couldn't replace that.

Just when Kaoru was about to reach out and strangle him for his lousy response, a voice called out, sharp and impatient.

"Hello?"

Both Kaoru and Sano froze, the former wondering at who it was and the latter blinking in recognition. Yahiko was already out the door when the two older people followed. Puddles of mud had formed in the deep grooves of the ground and while Sano splashed through carelessly, Kaoru took an extra moment to avoid them.

Takani Megumi was there, tapping her foot impatiently on the driest patch of ground she could find. Her irritation at having come here only doubled when no one answered her knock on the gate. Tired of waiting, she was surprised when the door swung open at her push and stepped inside. Still no one came out to greet her and she had to resort to calling out for people's attention.

She was surprised when Sano came out, accompanied by a young woman dressed like a man in a hakama and training gi. Her eyes narrowed as Sano turned to steady the girl as she almost stumbled over a rock hidden in the rough turf of the ground. Did Sano spend the night with her?

Not that Megumi cared, of course. The rooster-head was free to spend his time anywhere he liked, even if it was with a girl barely out of the school room. She had to ignore the heaviness in her chest and the clawing jealousy that raked her stomach uneasily.

"Megumi, what are you doing here so early? I thought Takeda didn't get up at least until mid-morning," Sano said, breaking into her thoughts. He stood before her, his trousers splattered with mud and something that looked like an old miso soup stain. His dark hair was tousled as if he had just gotten up.

Megumi crossed her arms across her chest, shoving any feelings but disdain, irritation, and anger aside. "I came because you weren't in camp. Takeda is going to be angry when he finds out you were here last night."

Sano shrugged. "That's the least of what he'll be angry about. Did you come here alone?"

The doctor nodded though she wished she hadn't made the journey. It would have been better if she ignored what clearly wasn't her business. Then she wouldn't have thoughts of Sano and this girl together. "I thought I'd come to warn you, but I knew I shouldn't have bothered." The bitterness in her voice surprised Megumi herself but she couldn't stop the acidic words from flowing out. "And here you are, tumbling with some girl barely old enough to be called the name and enjoying yourself, as usual."

Sano seemed surprised at the accusation. He blinked twice before a slow smile dawned on his lips, unaware that the 'girl' at his side was bristling with insult at the insinuation. "Really, Megitsune?" he drawled. "I didn't know you cared."

"Don't call me that!" Megumi snapped. "And I don't care. Sleep with every whore you come across if you, it doesn't matter to me. It's just like you to care more about pleasure anyway."

She was so furious at the situation and at feeling so hurt at Sano's actions that she didn't even see the hand until it slapped her on the cheek. Stunned more at the realization than at the stinging pain itself, the doctor stared at the girl dumbly.

"How dare you judge people so callously," she ground out, azure eyes flaring in anger. She met Megumi's gaze without flinching. "You have no idea what happened and here you are, accusing people and calling them names when you don't know the situation. You may be older but you still have a lot to learn yourself."

It took a moment but anger took root in Megumi's heart and she narrowed her eyes. "And how dare you speak to me that way? I've gone through more than you can imagine, you impudent child. I'm sure I'd be doing the world a favor if I taught you a lesson or two on how not to mess with a real woman."

"If you're a real woman, I'd rather stay a girl," Kaoru retorted.

"Why you ..!"

Sano put a hand on Yahiko's shoulder as he started forward, intending on helping his teacher. As the youth glanced up at him, confused, the street fighter just shook his head. "Trust me, it's safer not to get in the middle of two women fighting. They use moves that are dirtier than any street fighter. It's not worth your life to get between them."

Perplexed, Yahiko stared at his teacher grappling with the older woman, a ferocious scowl on both their faces as they used their nails, teeth, and any other sharp object against one another. "We can't just leave them alone!"

"Why not?" Sano asked reasonably. He sighed as Yahiko glared at him. "If only you were older, you'd appreciate this more," he muttered. "Fine, fine. Hey, ladies!" he called out loud. An arrogant smile appeared on his lips. "You don't have to fight over me, you know. There's more than enough to go around." He punctuated his statement with a broad wink.

As he expected (though it rather wounded his ego in the process), both women stopped their cattiness and glared at him. "Ew, gross!" Kaoru exclaimed, letting go of Megumi's hair.

Likewise, Megumi stopped digging her painted nails in Kaoru's arm. "I'd rather kiss Takeda on the lips," she retorted.

Sano winced. It was a good thing he didn't take insults like that personally or his male pride might have suffered a serious blow. "Speaking of Takeda, Megitsune" he said, shooting Kaoru a pointed look, "maybe you should get back to camp before he decides you're turning against him as well."

"As well?" Megumi echoed. She stared at him for a long moment as the implication of his words sank in before shaking her head. "You really are an idiot, Rooster-head. I can't believe you're going to defy Takeda for this dingy dojo."

"Hey!" Kaoru protested, glaring at the older woman. But she was ignored as Megumi continued.

"You know what's going to happen to you if you switch sides. Unlike you, Kenshin doesn't have a conscious and he will fight you."

"I think you just gave me my first compliment, Megitsune," Sano murmured with a small smile.

She shot him a hard look. "Don't be ridiculous. Having a conscious will just bring you down. You're better off working for Takeda. Leave the girl and boy alone to their fates. Even if it wasn't Takeda, some other vulture will swoop down eventually. You're just prolonging their deaths this way."

Kaoru glanced over at Sano who was standing in his usual slouched position. When he said nothing, she took a deep breath and turned to the doctor. "You're right, we might die today. But at least it'll be standing for my beliefs."

Megumi spared a brief, derisive look at the kendo instructor. "Beliefs are nothing to die over. Surviving in this world is the only truth to hold on to."

Bracing her hands on her hips, Kaoru appraised the older woman for a long moment. "Is that why you're working for Takeda?" she asked softly. "To survive?"

"Of course," Megumi snapped. "You'd think I'd voluntarily work for that creep if I didn't have to? I may no longer hold to my beliefs, but even I have to draw the line somewhere." There was bitterness in her voice that echoed years of unknown hurt. "I had ideals too, long ago. But I learned the hard way that they won't keep me fed or safe. I had to do something to survive and if it means putting up with Takeda then so be it."

Silence invaded the courtyard at her words. Yahiko looked from person to person, growing impatient from what he considered a straight-forward situation. Crossing his arms across his chest, he said loudly, "Look, I'm just a kid and I may not know much about survival and all that. But I do know that this Takeda guy has no right to force us to pay him money under the pretense that it's a new guild or for protection or whatever excuse. He's making a lot of people suffer because of this. If we give in to him now then there'll be no one else to stop him."

He paused and looked around again. Everyone was staring at him now. Feeling rather self-conscious, Yahiko took a deep breath and continued to speak. "But if we stand up to him now, no matter the consequences to us, maybe it'll help our neighbor or someone else find the courage to do the same and not be afraid. I'm not training to be a swordsman so I can lord it over people. I want to help them when no one else is around to do it. So you guys can stand back or whatever. But I, Myojin Yahiko, am going to fight today!"

Megumi was the first to break the long silence following Yahiko's words. She turned to Kaoru and said, "The brat's pretty brave. Foolish, but brave."

Kaoru shot him a wry smile. "That's Yahiko for you. Even if he doesn't know it, he says the right thing at the right time." She straightened up, eyes glinting with determination. "Well, I can't be outdone by my own student. He's right, and I'm going to stand up to Takeda, too!"

The doctor just shook her head. "I'm telling you, it's a big mistake. There are larger dojos with skilled fighters who won't go up against Takeda because of the sheer number of people he employs. Not to mention Himura Kenshin who happens to be a swordsman without equal. What makes you think the two of you have a chance?"

"The three of us," Sano interrupted. He flashed Megumi a charming smile. "You're probably right about it being a fool's position, Megitsune. But when have you ever known me to be the sensible sort?"

She snorted. "Never."

Sano nodded. "Exactly." He looked over Kaoru and Yahiko, a smile forming on his lips. "Besides, if you cut off the head, the rest of the body dies. All we need to do is get to Takeda."

"Which means you'll have to go through Sir Ken first," Megumi pointed out. "What makes you think you can defeat him this time around? You almost died in your first fight!"

"What makes you think I can't?" Sano countered. "Believe me, I've analyzed our first fight in every angle and I think I know how to handle his moves now."

Megumi sighed. "Takeda is going to want you dead with this defection. But I guess I'll go prepare the bandages just in case." She looked at the three people and shook her head again. "Fools, all of you," she murmured.

AN: Wasn't too sure if I should have put in the chocolate part but too late now. I may edit it out later. Last chapter will be up soon. My profile has a schedule of updates if you'd like to take a peek.