Battle of Wills

"A man with a full heart of determination and preferences can enjoy the myriad of miracles of his mind."

Zen Buddhist

Yahiko shivered the spill of cool water from the well. Feeling good after getting done with his swings. His young arms should from his hard work, holding the promise of what would appear in a few short years. He looked up for a moment at the cloudless day. Smiling his smirk and patting the roar beast known as the stomach. Yahiko yawned and blinked, feeling someone bonk the top of his skull again. A small rock landed at the ground. Followed shortly by two others. He twitched, and span on his hell. Yelling at the roof at the house. Which in all turns made the boy look a bit insane to anyone near by.

"Wolf, get your ass down here so I can kick it!" he yelled, flailing his arms about like a bird.

A laugh was the only answer from the door, the girl standing and smirking. Yahiko only blinked, pointing wordless at her and to the roof. Deeper, like a man's roar camera from the roof. Wolf smirked all the more at this moment. Very much amused and wishing for a camera to snap a shot of the Tokyo Samurai's face.

Sano jumped from the top of the house, holding a stone. " That was worth the climb to fix that leak now! Man, brat. The look on your face when you saw the punk." he grab his sides and laughed a bit more.

Soon, the boy's face was red as he attacked the arm of the Rooster head. Biting deeply into his arm. Sano yelled, trying to dislocate the student from his arm. Wolf sat down, watching the two once again in an epic battle as they did day in and out around the dojo. Her aching body was on the mend, gently she touched her shoulder. Thinking of Kenshin, a growl echoing from her chest at the very sight of him and his words from a few days ago. "You told this one if he beat you, your life was mine to do as pleased. So as of now, you are my student and the life of Wolf is mine." he had spoken. She gripped her shoulder, using the pain to drive the anger back for the moment.

Kaoru watched from around the corner, her eyes fixed on the younger teen. Seeing her gripping shoulder and anger blazing in her eyes and body. Signing, she was glad Kenshin was shopping for some tofu. Knowing well the fights happening between the two at the dojo……..

Yesterday

"You can't keep caged!"

"This one will and if must, will tie you up to a tree"

" Son of the ass hole! My life is mine Himura!"

"No, the battle was won. So your life is mine Wolf. To do as I please or see fit until other wise."

" Kenshin, I am going you pay for this!"

"This one quotes you Wolf "Bring it on"

She leaned on the wall, chaos now being the air of the dojo. Kaoru blinked some wet hair from her eyes sight, wishing and thinking back to her own talk with Kenshin last night…

She walked up to the man in the kitchen as he made dinner with one hand. Kenshin had a heavy look on his face, prob from the fights with Wolf and stopping her from the leaving the dojo on a hour like bases. She lightly coughed to get his attention.

"Oh, Kaoru-dono, dinner is almost ready, that it is! So please grab the dishes and set the table." he said smiling like always.

"Kenshin, is this right what your doing to Wolf? Trapping her like a animal. I know what she tried to do and all, but still….This might only make things worse for her and you." she said, holding her hands tightly.

Kenshin still went on chopping the radish, letting the swordswoman's words hang in the air. Putting down the knife, he turned his body to Kaoru. Eyes with a calm outlook. He signed, searching his mind for the words to speak on this whole play the last days.

"Wolf was how this one was back in the Bakumatsu. The same anger, and even actions would have been taken at a point. What this one fears did happen, and what was seen. She strong, and her potenal is almost endless. Sharp and too the point, already it seems born with a instincts for the sword. A will to survival to match any of this one battles. Yet mixed also with a madden edge, and her own dark past. She wavers like this one use between the Rurouni and Hitokiri. That is where the danger lays not only for her, but the others around her." he spoke

Kaoru blinked, seeing his side for the first time on this point. "But Kenshin, she not is the Rurouni . I don't see that at all with her. Wolf is hurt and wound in her mind and heart. That's the snapping point for her, much as you where. Still…. Is this smart teaching to use the sword at all?"

Kenshin once again looked at the knife, the light from the fire playing on the edge. "Yes, and no" he answered "She will learn control and find a balance. It will give her something to live for hopefully."

She nodded, seeing his point and grabbed the dishes. Kenshin watched her leave, throwing the cutting into the rice. He turned and leaned on the table. Touching where a blade had kissed his throat. True as his words, Wolf knew the sword. His own wounds told him that, and the fight. Once both of them where healed. The tough part was start, training a snapping wolf to hold a stick for a moment. Taking the food out, he headed to the dinning table.

Wolf watched from her sit under the tree, good smells licking at her nose. Everyone hungrily dove into the food like always. Kenshin sat down and looked at the teen from his place. She leaned back and choose to ignore the man for now. Any hunger gone from her body, left only with the ache she was use too. Back in past, her past. In the fighting rink, pain become part of her weekly life. Often waking up after a match in the China Rood, or Enish's little dojo. In a way, this ache was like coming home in sense. Keeping her focused on the now and not the then. Foot steps brought her from her mind wanderings. Kenshin held out a bowl to the girl. His trade mark smile in place like it was. She looked up at him, taking the bowl with out a word. He waited for a moment and walked back to the gumi. Wolf felt his sadness a bit, but pushed it away and eat the food. Aware how the others watched the exchange. Her eyes stayed on the ground, eating the rice in a slow motions. Once done, she stood up. Pain shooting into her legs, gripping the tree to take away the darkness in her eyes. A gentle hand gripped her arm. Wolf looked over, seeing Yahiko with a soft smile. All she could do was nod a thanks and walk away.

Shutting her door, the teen sat down on the futon and drink some tea Megumi had said to take before sleeping every night. Moving to the wall, she leaned back and put one knee up, the other leg out. Soon the drugs went into effect, pushing her back in the darkness.

Kenshin soon settles into his own room. Feeling the steady ki beat of Wolf on his back. He blinked and stood up, heading outside and peaking into the teen's room. Much as sleep, she leaned on the wall, head slightly down. Red hair spilled out on her shoulders. A small meet his face, picking up the blanket and covering the girl. Walking away, Kenshin's foot hit a leather book. Pictures spilled out into the light a bit. Reaching down, the samurai blinked at what he saw. A younger looking Wolf was in a kimono, holding the hand of a man. A grin of pride spread for the world to see as his daughter held a bag and fish in it. Full of youth and father hood. Black soft fell out of his brad, getting spikier on top. Much like Wolf's hair was now. She had his chin and hair type. Kenshin smiled at his sight of seeing a little girl and father at some kind of festival. Taking a look back at the girl, Kenshin felt his heart sink. At the lost of a smiling girl and her father lost to the end of a bullet.

He looked at one more picture, Wolf was older and a young Asian girl was hugging the other one. Both had a smoke in mouth and flipping of the camera. Wearing the same strange type of cloths the teen had now. Wolf had not the scar yet, her bright blue eyes lacking that heaviness they held not. Something had made her change in a few short years. Kenshin slide the pictures back into the leather book. One more flashed, a older Japanese woman sat down neatly, gray ash bun in her hair. The same bright blue eyes as her grandchild had gotten from the father. A purple kimono with flowers made her seem all the more younger. Her face holding a laugh and a gentle grace. He smiled at this, seeing where the teen had come from helped the man in his choice of actions.

Walking away, he shut the door and slipped back to his room. Images of the young Wolf lingered in his mind as he sat down. He had seen those images on this one now. Leaning back and closeting his eyes, thoughts of how to teach this pup ran in his mind.

Next Time

Battle of Wills

Wolf looked at the red head. Following him as they walked down the road. Her ache gone now from the body. Megumi was a bit taken at how fast she healed. Getting a clean bill of health was the good thing, but this meant now she had to deal with being a student to Kenshin.