The smell of miso soup drifted out the open shoji door and wafted into Yahiko's nostrils as he practiced his swordsmanship in the courtyard outside the dojo. He paused for a minute to take in the delicious smells.
"Kenshin must have dinner well on its way," he thought to himself. His gaze shifted to the sky, tinged in hues of golds, pinks, and oranges and dappled with fluffy clouds.
"Kaoru's late getting back tonight. Who cares where the rooster head is," he muttered aloud.
"I heard that, shrimp," came the all too familiar, semi-low voice.
"Don't call me shrimp, stupid rooster head!" Yahiko yelled, spinning around on his heels to send the ex-gangster a menacing glare.
"Oh, I'm so scared," Sano said in a monotonous tone. Yahiko clenched the bokken in one hand even tighter. He made a fist with his free hand.
Just then, right before he had attempted to turn Sano to a pulp, Kenshin stepped out.
"Hello, Sano. Where have you been today?" he asked.
"Just around," Sano replied with a shrug.
"Where's Miss Kaoru?" Kenshin asked, changing the subject.
"I'm here, Kenshin!" Kaoru called to them as she skipped through the gate, a medium sized package placed firmly under her arm.
"What's with the package?" asked Sano, one eyebrow raised in curiosity.
"Why are you skipping? You look so stupid," Yahiko said before turning and making a mad dash to the safety of the dojo.
"Oh, Yahiko! I'll get you yet!" Kaoru yelled, shaking a fist at the youngster before he disappeared out of sight.
"Well?" Sano asked again, reminding her that there were still questions that had been left unanswered.
"You'll find out sooner or later," she replied, mischief sparkling in her eyes. Then, with a happy laugh, she skipped inside to put her prized possession away. Kenshin and Sano watched her leave.
"What's up with her?" Sano asked looking back at Kenshin after Kaoru had disappeared. "I do not know, that I don't. What ever it is, it must be something pleasant. Miss Kaoru seems very happy about what ever it is," Kenshin replied, turning to go back to cooking. "Yeah, no kidding. It's almost scary. Let's hope it's not anything for us," Sano said, looking up at the sky, of which was illuminated in its bright shades of evening glory. Kenshin turned back, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "I do not think we should worry about it, that I don't," he finally said before turning once again and going back inside to finish cooking.
Sano sat down on the porch outside the dojo and watched as the colors in the sky fade. The sounds of the usual night creatures crept their way into Sano's ears.
"Sanosuke, are you hungry?" came Kaoru's voice from inside the dojo.
"Are you stupid? That is such a dumb question. Especially to ask Sanosuke," Yahiko's voice retorted. Sano smiled in his uncanny way before slipping off his shoes and going inside to eat. To him, life could not get any stranger…or could it?
bokken – a type of Japanese sword