Glad to see that people are keeping with this story, but some love would be nice. I love the love of reviews :O

Moving right along...:D

Chapter 8: Confusion

"Yo Tatsuki! You looking for someone?"

Tatsuki snapped from her thoughts and looked to the young man addressing her and shrugged. "No. Just got lost in thought."

She really was hoping Kenshin would show up, but then again she couldn't expect him to right? He probably was doing his own things like fighting those Hollows. Besides, why should she be so anxious for him to come watch? He was a friend, sure, but she didn't know him long enough to consider him a good friend like some of her classmates.

So why then did she feel so bummed out?

Practice began with some warm-up exercises to help loosen the muscles and get them ready for the training and sparring that would follow. It was all routine for her and easy to do without actually focusing on it. The warm-up exercises had become almost second nature, like walking or breathing. Stretch this limb, then that one. Twist this way, then that way.

The sound of the front door opening and conversation initially got her hopeful, but she chose to ignore it until she thought she heard a familiar voice. Glancing over, she two people walk in and sit down. One was a beautiful woman with tanned skin; although her purple hair and golden eyes was a bit strange. Next to her sat a smirking man who had his hair pulled back with a hair band but the gruff looking facial hair and blue-gray eyes told her it was him.

What was odd was he was wearing…well…normal clothes. He had on jeans and a white shirt with a button-up black t-shirt on over it, the buttons undone. What was stranger still was he made a comment to a couple that sat down next to him and the woman he had come in with. Wasn't he a spirit though?

She could ask him about that later, but for now she was glad he had chosen to come and watch her practice which gave her a boost of energy to push through the day.

/\/\/\/\

Kenshin gestured toward Tatsuki while keeping his voice hushed. Smiling warmly, Yoruichi leaned to the side and whispered to him, "Oh she's a cute one. Certainly seems your type of woman."

"Wait, what do ya mean by that?" He shot an agitated glance at his mentor whose smile turned into a mischievous grin.

"Ooooh…nothing."

"Right…I'm sure it was nothing." He shifted to return his focus on Tatsuki. While what these humans did was really nothing compared to what shinigami like he and Yoruichi could do, it still didn't stop him from admiring their effort in measures of their own limitations.

For a human she was certainly a capable fighter and seemed one of the best amongst her peers. Hell, if she was a shinigami she certainly would be able to match himself or even Lady Soifon with the efforts she was showing.

As the training shifted into sparring matches he was amazed to watch how easily she could best even her male counter-parts. While in the Soul Society strength wasn't necessarily measured by muscle but rather by spiritual pressure, he understood that muscle played a larger factor in strength in the human world.

Personally it seemed like he was watching someone like Captain Zaraki swatting away squad members; although, that really wasn't funny so much as it was dangerous…

The sparring finally ended and the two waited for Tatsuki to come back from the locker room. When she did she smiled up at her roommate-of-sorts. "Glad you could make it. Day been alright for you?"

He nodded and stuck his hands into his pockets. "Decently enough. Was surprised to just find a note but guess I was more tired then I thought. Ya looked good out there."

She felt a slight blush and did what she could to hide it. She knew he meant she looked good out there training and sparring, not looked good out there cause of …well … anyways. "Thanks. So who's this?" She looked over at the tan-skinned woman who offered a warm smile.

"You've already heard of me from what Kenshin's told me."

At first Tatsuki didn't quite understand but then it seemed to click almost instantly. Was this Kenshin's mentor? She was….beautiful! Hell, just from the bits of her arms she could see that weren't covered by the light orange jacket, Tatsuki could see this woman was a fighter. Suddenly she felt rather uncomfortable before this woman, as if she was just a child. "So you're Shihöin-san?"

"Aaah!" Yoruichi groaned and tossed her head back. "Didn't you tell her my name, Kenshin?"

"Slipped my mind…" Kenshin said with a sly grin, glancing off to the side.

Yoruichi brought her head back down and shot her pupil a glare before smacking him over the back of the head. "I swear, you and Soi both…anyways," she turned her attention back to Tatsuki and extended her hand; "I'm Yoruichi and please, no honorifics. I really hate formalities."

Tatsuki took the hand and shook it quickly, "I'm sorry. So…" She trailed off, not really sure what to say.

"Oh!" Yoruichi set a hand on Kenshin's arm and smiled. "We should go eat, all three of us."

"Well I should be getting home-" Tatsuki began to protest.

"Nonsense." Yoruichi waved a dismissive hand at the notion. "It's not everyday that I get to meet any of Kenshin's friends…hell…you're probably the first friend he's had in a long time."

"Gee, thanks…" Kenshin scoffed.

"It'll be my treat." Yoruichi grinned joyfully.

It would be rude of her to refuse and she actually didn't need to be home, and she was hungry; but, why did she feel like a third-wheel around this woman? "I guess that'd be alright…"

"Great! I know just the place too."

/\/\/\/\

"So…that's how you're able to be seen?"

Yoruichi nodded, having explained the fine points of a Gigai and that it gave shinigami a physical body within the human world to operate within. Tatsuki had been curious as the whole walk to the restaurant she noticed how Kenshin and his mentor both stepped around people; or, how girls walking by looked at Kenshin and giggled. Why did that bug her somewhat?

Tatsuki looked over to the side at Kenshin who was working on a rice bowl then returned her gaze to Yoruichi. "So how long have you two really been around?"

Yoruichi tapped at her chin while thinking over that question. "Well I really wouldn't want to state my age in itself as that'd be a bit embarrassing-"

"Vain." Kenshin interjected while eating.

"Huh?" Yoruichi looked to the side at the man.

"Just answer and stop being so petty about your age."

"Oh shut up!" She grumbled before returning her gaze to the young human. "Well Kenshin became my student roughly a century ago."

Tatsuki nearly choked when she heard that and began to pound at her chest until the contents stuck in her throat made it down. "W-what?"

Kenshin set his rice bowl down and offered a shrug. "We spirits live for hundreds of years if not thousands. Lady Yoruichi and I each have been around for over a hundred and fifty years or so."

"Kenshin!"

"Oh calm down Lady Yoruichi…you act like you're some old crone. Yeash…"

The lavender haired woman crossed her arms and offered a faux pout. "Well a woman doesn't like to talk about her age…"

"That's a long time to be a student…" Tatsuki noted before taking a sip of water to help her throat clear up.

"Well," Yoruichi sighed softly as she propped an elbow on the table and rested her chin in her hand, "he became my student a century ago but unfortunate circumstances caused a long pause from then to now…"

Tatsuki noticed the look in the older woman's eyes. It was a distant look with a feel of longing. Was it…was it longing for her student next to her? If that was the case then who was she to try and compete? Yoruichi was gorgeous with a great figure that both showed off her capabilities as a fighter and yet still retained the feminine figure and charm of a woman. Beyond that she had ample breast. How could she compete with that?

Wait…

Why was she thinking like this? Competing. She wasn't competing for Kenshin. He was a guy she found one rainy day and was taking care of, but…if he knew who his mentor was, couldn't he just live with her?

Although…he didn't opt to do so and he wasn't taking food from her or anything so it wasn't really like he was mooching from her. So why then was he sticking with her rather then go with his mentor?

"Oh, Tatsuki, can you come with me to the little girl's room?"

"W-what? Umm…sure?"

Kenshin watched as Yoruichi grabbed Tatsuki by the arm and dragged her off to the women's restroom, a bit of confusion washing over him. "Huh…"

/\/\/\/\

"Ermmm….so…what did you need?"

Yoruichi smiled while leaning against the sink. "I wanted to talk to you in private about Kenshin."

"I wasn't doing anything with him if that's what you're asking!" Tatsuki offered hurriedly. She was surprised when the woman laughed, her golden eyes glimmering as she did so.

"Not what I expected but alright. I just wanted to thank you for taking care of him. There are a lot of people that are thankful you found him and nursed him as you did."

"Oh…it was nothing…" She rubbed at the back of her neck nervously, not really wanting to meet the gaze of the other.

"He may not seem it past his gruffness and how quiet he is, but he's a sweet guy that means a lot to me. He was an officer of mine when I took command so long ago and…well he was quick to make me feel like I could handle the job." She smiled fondly at the memory.

Tatsuki however saw it as a fond smile for the gruff man still sitting back at the table. At least now she had her mind made up…

/\/\/\/\

That evening was rather quiet in her room. Kenshin hadn't immediately come home with her, something about dropping off that false-body. A knock came at her window and standing there was Kenshin with a smile. Part of her thought to ask him to leave, but…

She unlatched the window and opened it, letting him handle closing and locking it. "Ya looked great today at your practice."

"Thanks…"

He arched a brow while slipping his haori off and folding it. Why did she sound upset? In fact, she had seemed upset about something since after her practice finished. It wasn't because he showed up was it? She had left that note asking him to come. Maybe something happened at school? Humans, from what he understood, usually had drama in their lives around these teenage years.

As he tossed the haori aside on the bed and pulled his zanpakutö from his sash to prop it against the wall he couldn't help but inquire some. "Something wrong? You've been somewhat distant today since I showed up."

She winced some, lingering on the homework she was working on. "N-no…everything's fine."

"You sure?" He frowned while sitting down on the bed, leaning forward to rest his arms on his knees.

She nodded slowly, not wanting to look back at the man she was starting to think she actually had somewhat developed a liking to.

"Yeah. Everything's fine, Kenshin."

Not the best chapter in my opinion, but hey, we all like tension huh? ;D

Next time! Chapter 9: Shadows of the Winter War