1 Chapter Eight
1.1 Hey all! I'm not sure if chapter seven uploaded correctly. I went on the site to check it but it didn't show up on the update list, it did however show up when I searched my story. Oh, well…doesn't matter now. If it really didn't update right then it'll just be a special two chapter treat for all my fans…yup, all ten of 'em…
Disclaimer: See chapter one. I actually have created a special character for this story, which is ALL MINE…but I won't be making the character completely clear 'till later in the story.
* * *
The time travelers' reaction to Sanosuke had been somewhat…varied. Rei made it abundantly clear that she disliked his "harem" comment. Minako and Makoto were too busy drooling to care. The ever-shy Ami blushed at Sanosuke's crude comments and hurried to get back to reading a book she'd found lying around the house. In short, the senshi had generally agreed that he was a hot ticket, excepting Usagi, who at the subject of men began sobbing about not being able to see her Mamo-chan.
Kyusuke had a not so surprising wow-this-is-my-great-grandfather-this-is-so- cool type of reaction. He sat there and barely managed to stutter his own name when Sanosuke pointed out that his jaw was hanging on the tatami mat.
Everyone had just finished eating when a knock sounded at the gate.
"I'll get it," Sanosuke called over his shoulder as he went to answer it. "Aoshi."
"Hello, Sagara-san," came his sterile reply.
"You here to pick up the weasel girl of yours?"
"AOSHI-SAMA!"
"…"
"I'll take that as a yes."
It didn't take long for Aoshi to enter the dojo grounds despite the fact that Misao was firmly latched to his arm.
"Good morning, Aoshi. You're are earlier than expected de gozaru."
Aoshi's eyes shifted around to take in his surroundings. "You have guests."
Thank you captain obvious, Kenshin thought sarcastically.
"Misao, I think it would be best if we leave shortly. It would be rude to impose upon our friends any longer given that they seem a bit…crowded."
Rei in the mean time made a comment that Aoshi looked a bit like Mamoru… while Usagi denied it, claiming that Mamo-chan was ten times cuter. And thus the argument began. Of course, it ended with an infuriated Misao screaming almost incoherently about how Aoshi was hers and they'd best stay away from him.
"Yahiko! Get ready for training!" yelled Kaoru, "Oh Aoshi! You're here early!"
He nodded his head, then went to go wait for Misao to grab her things.
Kaoru walked over to Kenshin. "You know what?"
"What?"
"That's the most talkative I've seen him in a while."
"You should have seen him a minute ago. He said two whole sentences de gozaru yo."
"Really?" Kaoru responded, raising an eyebrow.
* * *
After breakfast, Kenshin dragged Sanosuke with him to do some shopping. Chibiusa, Miharu and Kyusuke stayed at the dojo with Kaoru and Yahiko while Usagi, Ami, Makoto, Minako, and Rei went to do some "sight seeing", otherwise known as looking for clues as to why they were stuck in the Meiji era.
"Kaoru-san?"
"Yes, Miharu-chan? What is it?"
"May I join you and Yahiko in your training today? I need to practice."
Kaoru brushed her hair back into her usual ponytail. "I don't see why not. It'd be nice for Yahiko to spar with someone new."
"Miharu-chan, where are you?" called Chibiusa from the other room.
"In Kaoru's room!"
"Oh, what are you doing in here?" she asked as she entered.
"Kaoru-san said I could practice with her and Yahiko."
"Really? Can I watch?" she asked Kaoru.
"You can do more than that! I can teach you too."
Chibiusa's eyes lit up. "Really? Kakoi!"
"Hey, can I learn too?" yelled Kyusuke practically running into the room.
"Kyusuke!" exclaimed a startled Chibiusa, "Were you eaves dropping?"
"No!" he denied, "I can't help it if the walls are paper thin…no pun intended."
"Maa! You can all learn if you want." Kaoru intervened smiling.
* * *
"So what's with all the young, and might I add cute, ladies at Jou-chan's?" asked Sanosuke as he walked beside Kenshin en route to the tofu vendor.
"They're in town for the summer festival. Kaoru bumped into them yesterday while she was out with Misao-dono. They couldn't find any room at the hotels de gozaru."
"Sou ka?" muttered Sanosuke as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "Che, just like Jou-chan, ne Kenshin?"
"Aa…Kaoru-dono is…" Kenshin's voice trailed off to be replaced with the sound of the tofu bucket falling to the street.
"Kenshin? Nan desu ka?" asked Sanosuke.
But Kenshin didn't hear him. He couldn't hear him. All his focus revolved around the one thing dominating his vision and the scent that invaded his senses. His breath caught in his throat and his heart constricted in his chest as he recognized those dark, somber eyes.
A million thoughts and a hundred images all invaded his senses at once. The bitter memory of white plum bore into the depths of his consciousness. "Tomoe…?"
Kenshin unconsciously began walking to the object of his confusion but his movement was interrupted when a hand gripped his shoulder roughly, nearly toppling him over. "Oi, I'm talkin' to you!"
Kenshin broke his gaze to look at his friend in surprise. "S-Sano?"
"Oi, what's wrong?"
Kenshin glanced back to where he'd seen her. She was gone. "N-nothing…"
"You sure?"
"Hai…daijoubu de gozaru yo," flashed his famous rurouni smile, "Saa, let's go get the food."
Sanosuke looked at him skeptically. "…All right."
1.1 Hey all! I'm not sure if chapter seven uploaded correctly. I went on the site to check it but it didn't show up on the update list, it did however show up when I searched my story. Oh, well…doesn't matter now. If it really didn't update right then it'll just be a special two chapter treat for all my fans…yup, all ten of 'em…
Disclaimer: See chapter one. I actually have created a special character for this story, which is ALL MINE…but I won't be making the character completely clear 'till later in the story.
* * *
The time travelers' reaction to Sanosuke had been somewhat…varied. Rei made it abundantly clear that she disliked his "harem" comment. Minako and Makoto were too busy drooling to care. The ever-shy Ami blushed at Sanosuke's crude comments and hurried to get back to reading a book she'd found lying around the house. In short, the senshi had generally agreed that he was a hot ticket, excepting Usagi, who at the subject of men began sobbing about not being able to see her Mamo-chan.
Kyusuke had a not so surprising wow-this-is-my-great-grandfather-this-is-so- cool type of reaction. He sat there and barely managed to stutter his own name when Sanosuke pointed out that his jaw was hanging on the tatami mat.
Everyone had just finished eating when a knock sounded at the gate.
"I'll get it," Sanosuke called over his shoulder as he went to answer it. "Aoshi."
"Hello, Sagara-san," came his sterile reply.
"You here to pick up the weasel girl of yours?"
"AOSHI-SAMA!"
"…"
"I'll take that as a yes."
It didn't take long for Aoshi to enter the dojo grounds despite the fact that Misao was firmly latched to his arm.
"Good morning, Aoshi. You're are earlier than expected de gozaru."
Aoshi's eyes shifted around to take in his surroundings. "You have guests."
Thank you captain obvious, Kenshin thought sarcastically.
"Misao, I think it would be best if we leave shortly. It would be rude to impose upon our friends any longer given that they seem a bit…crowded."
Rei in the mean time made a comment that Aoshi looked a bit like Mamoru… while Usagi denied it, claiming that Mamo-chan was ten times cuter. And thus the argument began. Of course, it ended with an infuriated Misao screaming almost incoherently about how Aoshi was hers and they'd best stay away from him.
"Yahiko! Get ready for training!" yelled Kaoru, "Oh Aoshi! You're here early!"
He nodded his head, then went to go wait for Misao to grab her things.
Kaoru walked over to Kenshin. "You know what?"
"What?"
"That's the most talkative I've seen him in a while."
"You should have seen him a minute ago. He said two whole sentences de gozaru yo."
"Really?" Kaoru responded, raising an eyebrow.
* * *
After breakfast, Kenshin dragged Sanosuke with him to do some shopping. Chibiusa, Miharu and Kyusuke stayed at the dojo with Kaoru and Yahiko while Usagi, Ami, Makoto, Minako, and Rei went to do some "sight seeing", otherwise known as looking for clues as to why they were stuck in the Meiji era.
"Kaoru-san?"
"Yes, Miharu-chan? What is it?"
"May I join you and Yahiko in your training today? I need to practice."
Kaoru brushed her hair back into her usual ponytail. "I don't see why not. It'd be nice for Yahiko to spar with someone new."
"Miharu-chan, where are you?" called Chibiusa from the other room.
"In Kaoru's room!"
"Oh, what are you doing in here?" she asked as she entered.
"Kaoru-san said I could practice with her and Yahiko."
"Really? Can I watch?" she asked Kaoru.
"You can do more than that! I can teach you too."
Chibiusa's eyes lit up. "Really? Kakoi!"
"Hey, can I learn too?" yelled Kyusuke practically running into the room.
"Kyusuke!" exclaimed a startled Chibiusa, "Were you eaves dropping?"
"No!" he denied, "I can't help it if the walls are paper thin…no pun intended."
"Maa! You can all learn if you want." Kaoru intervened smiling.
* * *
"So what's with all the young, and might I add cute, ladies at Jou-chan's?" asked Sanosuke as he walked beside Kenshin en route to the tofu vendor.
"They're in town for the summer festival. Kaoru bumped into them yesterday while she was out with Misao-dono. They couldn't find any room at the hotels de gozaru."
"Sou ka?" muttered Sanosuke as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "Che, just like Jou-chan, ne Kenshin?"
"Aa…Kaoru-dono is…" Kenshin's voice trailed off to be replaced with the sound of the tofu bucket falling to the street.
"Kenshin? Nan desu ka?" asked Sanosuke.
But Kenshin didn't hear him. He couldn't hear him. All his focus revolved around the one thing dominating his vision and the scent that invaded his senses. His breath caught in his throat and his heart constricted in his chest as he recognized those dark, somber eyes.
A million thoughts and a hundred images all invaded his senses at once. The bitter memory of white plum bore into the depths of his consciousness. "Tomoe…?"
Kenshin unconsciously began walking to the object of his confusion but his movement was interrupted when a hand gripped his shoulder roughly, nearly toppling him over. "Oi, I'm talkin' to you!"
Kenshin broke his gaze to look at his friend in surprise. "S-Sano?"
"Oi, what's wrong?"
Kenshin glanced back to where he'd seen her. She was gone. "N-nothing…"
"You sure?"
"Hai…daijoubu de gozaru yo," flashed his famous rurouni smile, "Saa, let's go get the food."
Sanosuke looked at him skeptically. "…All right."