Chapter 5: A Swordsmanship Style

Kenshin stood in front of the man before him. His black hair was greased back, but strands of it fell in his face, and his golden eyes gleamed menacingly. His face was long, like a wolf's, and there was a cigarette in his mouth. He wore a blue suit with a black shirt underneath, and the jacket hung loosely to his thighs. Everything about him was proper, as if he had been in some sort of army where it was required to be so straight and neat.

Why does everyone look so mean? Kenshin pondered.

"Hey," Sano said flatly, a glower upon his face.

"Sit down… Sagara," The man said warningly.

Sano pouted and walked away.

"E-excuse me, sir," Kenshin said.

"Hm?" The man's golden eyes switched over to Kenshin's face. "What?" He stated.

"Who are you?"

"Hajime Saitou… Your Math teacher."

"Oro."

"Go sit down next to the Kamiya girl."

"Oro… oro…." Kenshin felt uneasiness slipping over him as he passed Saitou.

Why do I feel like I've seen him before? Something about him just seems so familiar… but I can't… He sat down.

"Hey… psst…."

"oro?"

"Can I have my hairbrush back?"

"Oro!" He blushed. Kaoru smiled at him. He quickly handed it back to her.

"You pulled the hair out of it?" Kaoru asked.

"H-hai… Some of my hair got in it, and I didn't think it'd be very polite of me to hand your brush back in such a condition, de gozaru yo."

"Wow… That's so nice," She said happily. "-but unnecessary."

"Yes, well…" Kenshin fiddled with his fingers.

"Okay!" Saitou pounded his fist down on the desk, making it shake, and silencing everyone. "Does anyone remember what we were learning yesterday?"

Silence.

"If no one answers, I'll give you a pop quiz to refresh your memory."

Every hand in the class went up except for Kenshin's. "oro… I don't like it here, de gozaru yo…" He sunk down in his desk.

-

"Oro… What a torture zone…" Kenshin said, stumbling out of his class. Sano laughed.

"Yeah, well, that's Saitou-san for ya'," He said. "You just gotta learn to better him, and he'll treat you well."

"Who's done that?"

"No one."

"Oro."

"What? Come on, it's not that bad. You'll get used to it, I promise."

"…"

"So…" Sano walked up next to Kenshin, a smirk on his face. "I see that you've got your eyes on Jou-chan," He said.

"Who's Jou-chan?" Kenshin asked.

"Oh, that's what I call Kaoru."

"K-Kaoru?!" Kenshin blushed.

"Yeah, you two shared a hairbrush…" Sano nudged him as if it was something sexual.

"Sh-she just… let me borrow," Kenshin said. "She let me borrow it, de gozaru yo."

"Girls don't let boys use their hairbrush."

"Maybe she just thought my hair was cleaner than other boys'."

"Why would she be noticing your hair…?"

"'cause it's the brightest thing in the school."

"Oh, come on, admit it! You like Kamiya!"

"I barely know her, de gozaru yo!" Kenshin retaliated, blushing even more deeply. "M-maybe someday… but I---not now! Besides, I don't have time for a girlfriend right now."

"Whatever," Sano shrugged. "I--- Oh, look, it's Yahiko," He smirked.

Yahiko turned and saw Sanosuke and Kenshin.

"Hey! I thought we were friends!" Yahiko yelled at Kenshin.

"Oro? You are my friend."

"Then what're you doing with… him?" Yahiko gave Sano a look that sent Sanosuke's eyes a' flaring.

"I don't think I like the way you said 'him'!" Sano yelled. "It's noogie time!!!!" He grabbed Yahiko and rubbed his fist in his spiky black hair.

"Sweet mother! Oh, man! Stop it!!!" Yahiko kicked and screamed.

"Stop it, Sano!" Kenshin demanded, but Sano didn't hear him over Yahiko's yells and complaints.

"Put him down, you ignoramus," A voice said. Yahiko hit the floor and rolled over twice.

"Ow! Man…" He said as Kenshin leaned over him to see if he was okay.

"Hey, foxy!" Sano said.

"Oh, it's Megumi-san," Kenshin said.

"Don't call me foxy," Megumi said angrily.

"Whatever," Sano laughed. "So, Megitsune, who's life are you trying to foil?"

"Shut up. Don't call me Megitsune either, or it's your life I'll foil… not that you have one."

"Burn!" Yahiko yelled, pointing at Sano.

Sano pouted. "See ya' later, Kenshin. I've gotta go on to practice," He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked away.

"What kind of practice?" Kenshin asked.

"The guys and me are gonna practice our kendo so we stand a chance tomorrow. You wanting to come or something?"

"Knowing Hiko-san, he'll make me go first," Kenshin said. "I'll be happy to go."

"I'm coming too!" Yahiko declared. "I'm awesome at kendo!"

"Uh-huh, sure, quiet now. The grown-ups are talking," Sano said flatly, still offended by Yahiko's burst.

"I'm serious!!"

"Can I come too, Sanosuke?"

"Hm? Oh, hello, Jou-chan!" Sano said cheerfully. "Have you met my friend, Kenshin?" He shoved him towards her.

"oro… Hello…"

"Yes, we've met. So, can I come? I teach some kendo classes. Maybe I can show you guys a thing or two!"

"Sure, whatever."

"You're a lousy teacher!" Yahiko yelled.

"Oh, yeah? Well maybe you're just a lousy student!" Kaoru retaliated, getting in Yahiko's face. They both growled at each other, fire flying from their eyes.

"I take it she teaches Yahiko then…" Kenshin sweat dropped.

"Let's go already! School's over, people! Practice! We have to practice!" Sano zoomed off down the hall.

"H-hey! Wait for us!" Kenshin yelled, running after him. Kaoru grabbed the back of Yahiko's uniform and tossed him over her shoulder, running behind Kenshin.

Megumi shook her head, humiliated, and walked away.

-

When they all made it to the gym, everyone else was already practicing.

"I'm going to go change," Kaoru said.

"Yeah, me too," Yahiko said.

"Did you bring any extra clothing?" Sano asked.

"Hai, but I didn't plan on changing unless I got something spilled on my uniform, de gozaru yo."

"Well, go on anyways," Sano said. "I'll roll out the floor mats so that we don't slip and fall."

"Okay, thanks," Kenshin said walking away."

-

Kenshin stepped out of the shower area where he and Yahiko had changed in private. Yahiko was wearing a yellow shirt with a black collar, a picture of a 'do not walk' guy falling off a skateboard on the front, and the words WARNING: PAIN WILL ENSUE underneath the picture. He had on army-green cargo pants as well, and he had slipped his white tennis shoes back on.

Kenshin had put on a black t-shirt that was too long and had the word 'ORO…?' spread across the chest area in white letters. He wore blue jeans underneath such, and his tennis shoes were white as well. His ponytail hung down his back as usual.

"Kenshin, Yahiko!" Kaoru came running up in a pair of khaki capri pants, a pink t-shirt, and a white jacket over it. She was wearing zori sandals for some odd reason.

"Hello," Kenshin said cheerfully.

"Hmph." Yahiko looked aimlessly off in another direction. He then walked off to where Sano was. He, on some last minute whim, had changed his mind and begun practicing with his fists instead of a wooden weapon.

"Hey," Sano grinned at him.

"Shouldn't you be using this?" Yahiko handed him a shinai.

"Nah, if I use a weapon at all, I prefer a boken over a shinai. Shinai are too light."

"Fine, whatever," Yahiko said, taking it back.

"Come on, Yahiko," Kaoru said strictly.

"What?" Yahiko complained.

"Now, I can finally train you without you skipping out on class," She said, glaring at him.

"Fine, I'll learn your little sword style."

"For your information, it's not just MY style! It's been passed down through generations, and it not just a little style!" Kaoru yelled at him. "You ignorant little child!"

"Ugly tanuki!" Yahiko yelled back. They began arguing like wild cats.

"Kaoru-dono is certainly feisty today, isn't she," Kenshin sweat dropped.

"What do you mean? She's always like this," Sano said, slipping up next to him. Kenshin's eyes bulged out. Sano picked his teeth with a toothpick.

-

Kenshin sat, admiring Kaoru and Yahiko as they practiced. They seemed to be working very hard. He could spot many flaws in Yahiko's technique, and Kaoru would correct them, but what she didn't know was that she was making a few mistakes of her own.

Kenshin's eyes, blind as they were, seemed to be trained for swordsmanship. He could spot errors in any swordsmanship and fix them, whether it was mentally or physically, like when he did a few years ago, when he 'dabbled' in swordsmanship. He always figured that he wasn't very good at it though, for every time he would work with a boken or shinai, it would break after his first attack. He figured he had to of been doing something wrong, so he quit on it for awhile. Of course, secretly he would often wonder why they would break and how he would fair against an actual opponent.

"Yo, Kenshin!" Sano suddenly yelled.

"Oro?"

"Are you going to practice or what?"

"My skill with a weapon is lacking, de gozaru yo."

"Well, you'd better practice anyways or you'll be dead meat when you face Chou tomorrow."

"Why wait until tomorrow," A voice suddenly said, silencing the entire gym.