Disclaimer: I'm disclaiming that I own Rurouni Kenshin . . .
Chapter 4: "The Bad, The Bold, and The Ugly"
Sometime during the night Kenshin became aware of a figure sneaking off out
of the dojo. It was Sanosuke. A moment after that, Yahiko got up and began
to roam about the house stealthily. Kenshin nearly sighed. He had been
right; something was going on. He waited until Yahiko was in the other room
before he got up. He snuck out of the house and ran across the yard to the
shed where he was sure Sanosuke was at.
He opened the door and peered into the darkness. He saw Sanosuke stuffing
valuables into a huge sack.
"I would put those back where they belong, that I would," He said simply
and firmly.
Sano started and nearly dropped the sack. "What in the world are you doing
up? Never mind, don't try to stop me."
Kenshin frowned, "Was your whole story a lie?"
"No, just the part about Yahiko being sick," Sano retorted lightly.
Kenshin "oro-ed" and said, "You should not take advantage of Miss Kaoru's
kindness this way, that you shouldn't."
Sano stood there for a bit then suddenly swung the sack at Kenshin, but
Kenshin was no longer there. Somehow he'd gotten behind Sanosuke. Sano
jumped aside just in time to avoid Kenshin's sword.
A sword!
They stood facing off against each other in the exact opposite positions
they had started out in. Sano's back was to the door and Kenshin was
standing in front of him sword raised.
Why hadn't Sano realized he was a samurai before now? Maybe it was that
silly pretense Kenshin always put on.
"You're a samurai." Sano said aloud.
"And you're a thief."
"Well, I . . . forget it, I don't have to explain myself to you."
"No, that you don't. Why don't you put Miss Kaoru's things back?"
"Sorry, I can't do that," Sano grabbed for the door, slid it open, and
jumped outside and went running . . . unfortunately he was knocked down by
Kenshin's reverse blade sword . . .
Kaoru was awakened with the feeling that something was wrong. She looked
around her room and seeing nothing determined to just go back to sleep.
That is until she heard a clunk coming from outside her room. She decided
it wouldn't hurt to get up and go check on things.
She grabbed her bokken on the way out and nervously opened her door and
peeked outside. She gasped when she saw a small figure with spiky hair
sneaking about. The figure was carrying a large bag . . .
Kaoru didn't think twice; she leaped at the thief with her bokken raised
and knocked it over its head. She heard one squawk and then the figure fell
to the ground in a heap.
"Owww . . . why'd you have to do that Ugly?" She heard Yahiko's disgruntled
voice question.
"Y-Yahiko?" She asked.
"No duh . . ."
Kaoru blinked then frowned, "You were trying to steal my things!" She
yelled at him.
"Hey, not so loud, my head hurts," He complained.
"It should hurt, you little brat!" Kaoru shouted at him.
"It was Sano's idea," Yahiko whined.
"I'll bet."
The household ended up gathered in the sitting room, the unconscious
Sanosuke lain out in the middle of the floor and Yahiko slumped on a pillow
rubbing the bump on his thick head.
Kaoru towered over them while Kenshin tried to rouse Sano with a sheepish
look on his face.
"I can't believe they tricked me like this!" She exclaimed.
"It is not your fault, that it isn't, Miss Kaoru." Kenshin comforted her.
"Yeah it is, Ugly . . ." Yahiko muttered beneath his breath.
Kaoru knocked him in the head with her bokken. "I heard that," she growled
at him.
Yahiko moaned an 'ouch' but only scowled at her.
Kenshin asked Yahiko, "Is he faking?" He was referring to Sano's continued
unconsciousness.
Yahiko sighed and admitted, "Probably, he's got a really hard head. It'd
take a lot for him to stay out for this long."
At that Kaoru fetched a bucket of water from outside and returned. She told
Kenshin to move aside and then promptly dumped the whole thing on
Sanosuke's head.
The young man came up sputtering, but conscious. "Hey! Why'd you have to go
and do that?"
"Funny," Kaoru said in an innocent voice, "That's what your little brother
said when I knocked him on the head with my bokken. Would you prefer that
instead?" She asked him sweetly.
Sano held up his hands in surrender, "No, no, that's alright, Missy."
It was Kenshin's turn. "Now would you like to tell Miss Kaoru why it was
that you were stealing her valuables?"
Sano scratched the back of his wet hair, "Well, I . . ."
"It's because I wanted to go to school!" Yahiko blurted out.
Sano sighed, and Miss Kaoru raised a brow. "To think he actually wanted to
go to school . . . it's amazing."
"It's also a lie." Sanosuke gave Yahiko a look and Yahiko shrugged
helplessly.
"We're kind of poor at the moment. I thought we could get away with
stealing some things just this once to pay the bills and get some food . .
. that's about it."
"Sano, that is the lamest lie I've ever heard," Yahiko said in disgust.
Sano knocked him on the head with his fist, "It's not a lie, you doofus."
Yahiko squeaked out a little 'oh' from the smudge on the floor that he had
become.
Kaoru said, "That's no excuse to steal someone else's things."
"I know, I know," Sano apologized, "But it's not just the bills that I have
to worry about. You see, I have all these gambling debts to pay off and
those guys were starting to come around threatening little Yahiko when I
wasn't there."
"Hey!" Yahiko protested. "I'm not 'little'."
Sano glared, "Yeah, you are, dumb butt."
Yahiko began to bite Sano's head . . .
A moment of horrified silence filled the room. It was broken by Kenshin,
who cleared his throat and said, "Err, you could stay here until you paid
off your debts, that way you wouldn't have to-"
"Now wait just a second," Kaoru interrupted. "What makes you think I want
these two living here, Shinta?"
"Oro . . ." Kenshin said. "But it would keep them out of trouble . . ."
Kaoru squinted her dark-blue eyes for a moment then finally said, "I
suppose you're right. Little Yahiko would be safe from his stupid big
brother's gambling buddies, I suppose."
"Hey!" Both the brothers protested.
Kenshin smiled, "So it's settled, that it is."
Kaoru sighed, "I guess . . ."
A/N: Okay I'm trying to find a satisfactory way to tell allin 656 and
CEEGEE that even though I've kinda figured out why Kenshin is wanted I'm
not going to write it yet . . . besides . . . it's sad anyway, so you would
just cry and this is supposed to be a happy story. ::Sniffles:: I wrote it
last night when I was really tired it was about 12:00 am . . . so my being
tired kinda helped me write the angsty part of it. Unfortunately, since I
was so tired I couldn't really think too clearly, so there are some
technicalities to work out before I can put it in the story. Besides, it
just doesn't feel right to put it in yet. :: Grins Evilly ::
Okay so now that I'm finished writing that rather disappointing a/n I'm
going to reply:
CEEGEE: thanks again for reviewing and I'll work extra hard to make the
explanation.
Allin656: Hey, thanks for the honest review. I really have no clue why I
called him Shinta, either. :) It kinda just wrote itself . . . maybe I'll
try to explain it later so it'll sound more realistic . . . anyway, just
hang in there! :)
Thanks again, everybody, for reviewing, and especially for taking the time
to actually read it. ;) -Misao-incarnate.
Chapter 4: "The Bad, The Bold, and The Ugly"
Sometime during the night Kenshin became aware of a figure sneaking off out
of the dojo. It was Sanosuke. A moment after that, Yahiko got up and began
to roam about the house stealthily. Kenshin nearly sighed. He had been
right; something was going on. He waited until Yahiko was in the other room
before he got up. He snuck out of the house and ran across the yard to the
shed where he was sure Sanosuke was at.
He opened the door and peered into the darkness. He saw Sanosuke stuffing
valuables into a huge sack.
"I would put those back where they belong, that I would," He said simply
and firmly.
Sano started and nearly dropped the sack. "What in the world are you doing
up? Never mind, don't try to stop me."
Kenshin frowned, "Was your whole story a lie?"
"No, just the part about Yahiko being sick," Sano retorted lightly.
Kenshin "oro-ed" and said, "You should not take advantage of Miss Kaoru's
kindness this way, that you shouldn't."
Sano stood there for a bit then suddenly swung the sack at Kenshin, but
Kenshin was no longer there. Somehow he'd gotten behind Sanosuke. Sano
jumped aside just in time to avoid Kenshin's sword.
A sword!
They stood facing off against each other in the exact opposite positions
they had started out in. Sano's back was to the door and Kenshin was
standing in front of him sword raised.
Why hadn't Sano realized he was a samurai before now? Maybe it was that
silly pretense Kenshin always put on.
"You're a samurai." Sano said aloud.
"And you're a thief."
"Well, I . . . forget it, I don't have to explain myself to you."
"No, that you don't. Why don't you put Miss Kaoru's things back?"
"Sorry, I can't do that," Sano grabbed for the door, slid it open, and
jumped outside and went running . . . unfortunately he was knocked down by
Kenshin's reverse blade sword . . .
Kaoru was awakened with the feeling that something was wrong. She looked
around her room and seeing nothing determined to just go back to sleep.
That is until she heard a clunk coming from outside her room. She decided
it wouldn't hurt to get up and go check on things.
She grabbed her bokken on the way out and nervously opened her door and
peeked outside. She gasped when she saw a small figure with spiky hair
sneaking about. The figure was carrying a large bag . . .
Kaoru didn't think twice; she leaped at the thief with her bokken raised
and knocked it over its head. She heard one squawk and then the figure fell
to the ground in a heap.
"Owww . . . why'd you have to do that Ugly?" She heard Yahiko's disgruntled
voice question.
"Y-Yahiko?" She asked.
"No duh . . ."
Kaoru blinked then frowned, "You were trying to steal my things!" She
yelled at him.
"Hey, not so loud, my head hurts," He complained.
"It should hurt, you little brat!" Kaoru shouted at him.
"It was Sano's idea," Yahiko whined.
"I'll bet."
The household ended up gathered in the sitting room, the unconscious
Sanosuke lain out in the middle of the floor and Yahiko slumped on a pillow
rubbing the bump on his thick head.
Kaoru towered over them while Kenshin tried to rouse Sano with a sheepish
look on his face.
"I can't believe they tricked me like this!" She exclaimed.
"It is not your fault, that it isn't, Miss Kaoru." Kenshin comforted her.
"Yeah it is, Ugly . . ." Yahiko muttered beneath his breath.
Kaoru knocked him in the head with her bokken. "I heard that," she growled
at him.
Yahiko moaned an 'ouch' but only scowled at her.
Kenshin asked Yahiko, "Is he faking?" He was referring to Sano's continued
unconsciousness.
Yahiko sighed and admitted, "Probably, he's got a really hard head. It'd
take a lot for him to stay out for this long."
At that Kaoru fetched a bucket of water from outside and returned. She told
Kenshin to move aside and then promptly dumped the whole thing on
Sanosuke's head.
The young man came up sputtering, but conscious. "Hey! Why'd you have to go
and do that?"
"Funny," Kaoru said in an innocent voice, "That's what your little brother
said when I knocked him on the head with my bokken. Would you prefer that
instead?" She asked him sweetly.
Sano held up his hands in surrender, "No, no, that's alright, Missy."
It was Kenshin's turn. "Now would you like to tell Miss Kaoru why it was
that you were stealing her valuables?"
Sano scratched the back of his wet hair, "Well, I . . ."
"It's because I wanted to go to school!" Yahiko blurted out.
Sano sighed, and Miss Kaoru raised a brow. "To think he actually wanted to
go to school . . . it's amazing."
"It's also a lie." Sanosuke gave Yahiko a look and Yahiko shrugged
helplessly.
"We're kind of poor at the moment. I thought we could get away with
stealing some things just this once to pay the bills and get some food . .
. that's about it."
"Sano, that is the lamest lie I've ever heard," Yahiko said in disgust.
Sano knocked him on the head with his fist, "It's not a lie, you doofus."
Yahiko squeaked out a little 'oh' from the smudge on the floor that he had
become.
Kaoru said, "That's no excuse to steal someone else's things."
"I know, I know," Sano apologized, "But it's not just the bills that I have
to worry about. You see, I have all these gambling debts to pay off and
those guys were starting to come around threatening little Yahiko when I
wasn't there."
"Hey!" Yahiko protested. "I'm not 'little'."
Sano glared, "Yeah, you are, dumb butt."
Yahiko began to bite Sano's head . . .
A moment of horrified silence filled the room. It was broken by Kenshin,
who cleared his throat and said, "Err, you could stay here until you paid
off your debts, that way you wouldn't have to-"
"Now wait just a second," Kaoru interrupted. "What makes you think I want
these two living here, Shinta?"
"Oro . . ." Kenshin said. "But it would keep them out of trouble . . ."
Kaoru squinted her dark-blue eyes for a moment then finally said, "I
suppose you're right. Little Yahiko would be safe from his stupid big
brother's gambling buddies, I suppose."
"Hey!" Both the brothers protested.
Kenshin smiled, "So it's settled, that it is."
Kaoru sighed, "I guess . . ."
A/N: Okay I'm trying to find a satisfactory way to tell allin 656 and
CEEGEE that even though I've kinda figured out why Kenshin is wanted I'm
not going to write it yet . . . besides . . . it's sad anyway, so you would
just cry and this is supposed to be a happy story. ::Sniffles:: I wrote it
last night when I was really tired it was about 12:00 am . . . so my being
tired kinda helped me write the angsty part of it. Unfortunately, since I
was so tired I couldn't really think too clearly, so there are some
technicalities to work out before I can put it in the story. Besides, it
just doesn't feel right to put it in yet. :: Grins Evilly ::
Okay so now that I'm finished writing that rather disappointing a/n I'm
going to reply:
CEEGEE: thanks again for reviewing and I'll work extra hard to make the
explanation.
Allin656: Hey, thanks for the honest review. I really have no clue why I
called him Shinta, either. :) It kinda just wrote itself . . . maybe I'll
try to explain it later so it'll sound more realistic . . . anyway, just
hang in there! :)
Thanks again, everybody, for reviewing, and especially for taking the time
to actually read it. ;) -Misao-incarnate.