Thanks for the reviews. Here's Chapter 3, let me know what you think.

The Pickpocket

Kenshin sat on a roof, enjoying the fresh air. It had been a month since he had been injured. Once he had returned home, Hiko-san had confined him to his room. He was finally being allowed out on patrol again as long as he stayed in the safer areas and had someone with him. It was understandable after what had happened, but he still didn't like being treated like a child.

"Give it a week of you not being attacked and they will relax," Sano said, reading his mood.

"I feel like a miss behaved child."

"We were worried. Especially after we couldn't find you for a week."

"I know," he said, unable to be mad. Peeking over the edge of the roof he checked on the boy they were following. He hadn't moved.

They had seen the boy earlier that day. It looked like he was a pickpocket except for the fact that he kept returning the purses he stole, which had spiked their interests. The boy couldn't be more than twelve and was obviously underfed. They had been following him to see what he did and to see if there was anyone the boy was protecting or trying to take care of, he obviously didn't want to be stealing. If he was slightly older they would have debated bring him into their group but because of his age, all they could do is try and make his life slightly easier.

"Here comes trouble," Sano said and Kenshin followed his gaze up the street where two men were coming towards them. By the way they walked and how people treated them, they were thugs for someone. No matter how many gangs they destroyed, more popped up.

"Oi, lemi go," the pickpocket yelled as the men grabbed him.

"Boss wants a word," the man said, and they dragged the kid away. No one moved to help. In this world, if you helped you got killed, or worse. It was a world of everyone for themselves.

He and Sano silently followed the men as they threaded their way through the streets. They would learn the location of this new gang and then decide what to do. Sometimes destroying a gang would only worsen the situation because it would allow police to fill the void. They would have to decide whether to leave the gang or destroy it depending on how bad the gang was. The kid, for his part, did not stop struggling even after they had struck him a few times.

In the end, they ended up at an old styled house. If it weren't for more pressing matters, Kenshin would have loved to stop and admire the place. There weren't many places like this anymore.

"Who's that," Sano said pointing to someone who was sneaking over the outer wall.

Kenshin almost fell over in shock when he recognized the long black pony tail, though he had never seen Kaoru wearing a hakuma before. "That would-be Miss. Kaoru," he said once he got past his shock.

"What's she doing here?"

"I'm not sure," Kenshin said and easily jumped over the wall. He dearly hopped he hadn't misjudged her. After all, she had done so much to keep him alive, but he had no explanation for why she was here. Sano followed close behind him. Since it was an old styled house, it wasn't hard for them to find purchase in the celling to watch.

"I didn't ask for your help, ugly. This has nothing to do with you," the pickpocket yelled at Kaoru. There were surrounded by about ten men. Two were holding the boy, pushing him to the floor in front of the man who was obviously the boss. The rest of the men started at Kaoru but didn't seem concerned. Kenshin wondered how many people had underestimated her just because she was a woman armed with a wooden sword. He wouldn't have thought much of it if it weren't for the way she held herself, with no signs of fear.

"Just shut up will you," Kaoru said back. "This does have something to do with me now. You don't honestly expect they will just let me leave now."

"Just let her go," the pickpocket said, looking at the boss.

"I'm afraid not. A pretty face like that could be worth a pretty price," the boy started to struggle against the two men holding him. Kenshin had to give the kid credit. He was small and weak, but he was still trying to save Kaoru.

"While I'm honored you find me pretty, I'm afraid I won't be sticking around and neither will the kid."

"Men, don't damage her face," the boss said, and the men attacked. The boy yelled form his position on the floor as he broke out and took down the men who had been holding him. He had no formal training, just what you learn from fighting on the streets, but it was effective.

Kaoru made quick work of the other men. Her well-placed blows disarmed the men and knocked them out. Kenshin was impressed by her form. She had obviously studied for some time. He and Sano were ready to help if the need arose, but they quickly discovered that they weren't needed.

"Are you ok kid?" Kaoru asked once all the men and the boss had been dealt with.

"I didn't ask you to come and save me. I don't need your pity."

"I don't pity you, otherwise I would have taken care of the men holding you first. I just decided I was tired of these guys forcing kids to steal."

"You could have gotten yourself killed idiot."

She rapped him lightly on the head with her bokken, causing him to exclaim in annoyance. "That's no way to talk to your elders." The boy just glared at her. She smiled and knelt in front of him. "I can't offer you much, but I can offer you a roof over your head, regular meals, the chance to help others, and to learn swordsmanship." The boy's eyes widened at this.

"Why should I trust you?"

"You shouldn't, but I promise I am not involved in anything like the things these men were involved in," she said and Kenshin looked to Sano. He had just thought they were a regular street gang. What was she talking about? "And either way, you're coming back to my home, so I can tread your injuries. Whether you stay or not, is up to you," and with that she grabbed him by the collar and lifted the squirming child over her shoulder. "I'm Kaoru by the way, assistant master of the Kamiya Kasshin-ryu who are you."

"Yahiko," the boy grudgingly said once he discovered that he wasn't going to be let down. "What about these guys. You just gonna leave em?"

Kaoru glanced up to where he and Sano were hiding and smiled, "They'll get what's coming to them."

Once they were gone Sano let out a low whistle, "That's one little lady you've found."

"That she is," Kenshin agreed. "Do you know what she was talking about?"

"No," Sano said, returning to business. "I assumed they were just some street thugs. Guess the little lady left em to us. Shall we go ask these lovely gentlemen if they will answer our questions?"

Kenshin nodded and jumped down.

"I thought you said you were an assistant master. Doesn't an assistant master need a dojo? This is an apartment," the boy, Yahiko said. The brat had complained the entire way home and was now insulting her home. For about the millionth time since she had caught the boy trying to steal her wallet, Karou wondered why she had helped him.

"The dojo burned down three years ago. I don't have the money to rebuild it," she said, careful not to let on just how much this fact hurt her. "I live here now and since no one uses the gym on the first floor, the landlord let me turn it into a practice room. I teach self-defense lessons mostly."

"Don't you teach swordsmanship?"

"I do, the Kamiya Kasshin-ryu is the sword that protects. It was taught to be by…my father," Yahiko registered her pause but didn't push. "Unfortunately, in this day and age, not many people wish to learn swordsmanship. Especially from a woman."

"What makes you think I want to learn it?"

"The fact that you haven't left, despite the fact that all your injuries are taken care of. And I can tell you wish to protect people. You wish to have the power, so people can't push you or people like you around."

"So, you followed me because of that?"

"Partly because of that. You gave me the unique opportunity to bring them down. By myself I cannot do much."

"But you just left them."

"As I said, it was a unique opportunity. You didn't only catch my attention today."

"Whatda mean?"

"The Battousai was also following you for most of the day." Yahiko's eyes widened.

"Was he going to hurt me for stealing?"

"I don't think so. He seemed more curious as to why you didn't want to be stealing but were. I took you in, which I think was for the best. You are too young and untrained to fight with him. I trust him to deal with the gang. He has power and connections that I don't have."

Yahiko nodded, she had expected him to get mad at being called young and weak, but he had accepted it without complaint. He had an attitude and a bad mouth, but he also had a brain. He could see the truth in her statement. "How did you know he was there?" He finally asked.

"As you learn to fight, you learn to start sensing ki. I am able to sense his because we have…interacted before," Yahiko opened his mouth to ask but she quieted him with a hand. "I tend to all those who come to me for help."

He contemplated this for a while, "What is ki?"

"It is like the invisible energy someone gives off. The stronger their ki, the sharper it is," Yahiko looked confused so she tried again. "Close your eyes," after a moment's hesitation he did, he obviously didn't like doing so though. "Imagine you are in a pool. You are completely still and so is the water. Now imagine someone entering the pool. They make no noise. Do you know they are there?" Yahiko nodded. "How?"

"Because they would disturb the water."

"Correct, you can open your eyes," he did so. "Sensing ki is like sensing the disturbance in the water, but you aren't actually in water. The stronger someone is the bigger waves they make; ordinary people are harder to sense because of this. At the same time, strong people can also hide their ki so that only other strong people or people well versed in sensing ki can see them."

"Which one are you?"

"While I am not weak, I would not say I could match the Battousai in a fight either. So, a combination of both in a way."

"I can learn how to do that?"

"As your ki sharpens, you will start to see others. So, will you become my student?"

Yahiko started to nod then froze, eyes narrowing. "How did you know what that group was involved in?"

"I know because I try and protect the people here from falling into that. Desperation can make you believe anything. Members of his group have come around here, making families false promises of work and money. While I can stop them from taking people who will listen to me, it is hard to help those who have already been taken. Finding dens is hard and the police won't do anything until a den has been found. That is why I hope the Battousai, with his resources, will be more successful than I have been."

He seemed to accept this explanation but there was no trust in his eyes. That was something that would take time to learn. "So where will I be sleeping?"

She led him past her room to a closed door. The landlord had given her a three-bedroom apartment, even though she had only asked for two, since he didn't have any smaller apartments. The rent was the same either way, so she didn't mind. Right now, she used it for storage but there wasn't much in it. The room had a raised tatami mat floor, like hers. Only the guest bedroom was western style. Opening the closet, she found a futon and blanket.

"Help me get this outside to air them out and check for bugs. I air them out occasionally, but it's been a while." Yahiko helped without complaint and once they passed inspection they went back inside. "You up for a little cleaning?"

"I'm not a child," Yahiko grumbled. It didn't take long for them to go through the few boxes that were stored in his room. They mostly contained pieces that she had salvaged form the dojo. Yahiko told her that she could just leave the boxes, he didn't take up a lot of room, but she insisted they be moved to her room. This resulted in a shouting match that ended with her picking up the boxes, and moving them while Yahiko called her ugly and stupid.

Once the boxes were gone, they started dusting. After a while she thought it was probably good to give him some time alone to adjust. "I'm going to go over to Dr. Gensai's house," she said washing her hands.

"Who's he?"

"A friend of mine. He keeps an eye on me. I want to let him know you are staying with me, so he doesn't get worried. Do you want to come?" He shook his head. "Alright, I'll be back in an hour. There is food in the fridge if you get hungry. Just make yourself at home, but I wouldn't suggest touching the herbs or jars," she said pointing at various areas of the living room and kitchen that housed her work. "A lot of them are dangerous in the hands of someone who doesn't know what they are doing."

It was a little nerve wracking leaving him in her home alone, she hated to admit. The kid was proud, and she didn't think he would steal form her. But, just as he didn't trust her, she didn't trust him yet either. Thankfully, there wasn't much of value in there, and what was valuable was well hidden.

XXX

The boy was a quick study. He hadn't survived on the streets for so long for nothing. It had been a little over three weeks since she had taken him in and he had learned a lot. Every morning they practiced in the gym before breakfast. Then he would make breakfast, usually complaining about how bad of a cook she was, and then they would go to her self-defense lessons. This routine was often disturbed as patients came in, often with minor injuries or a nasty cold. Dr. Gensai had given her some cloths for Yahiko after he had found out about the boy. Yahiko had taken them after she had pointed out that his old cloths smelled.

Yahiko not only picked up swordsmanship quickly. He quickly learned the self-defense she taught and about herbs. It wouldn't be long before she could start relying on him to help with her classes. She already used him to get herbs for her while she was tending to someone. He could recognize the ones she used most often and where they were kept in her apartment.

The more she let him help, the more relaxed he became around her. She still didn't know anything about him, but he no longer treated her like the enemy.

"What are in the jars up there?" Yahiko asked as they worked in the kitchen to make dinner. Karou paused, not sure what to say. "What?" He said when she didn't respond.

"They are high concentrations of different plants that can be rather dangerous," she finally said. Telling him they were poisons would probably not go over well. This response was the truth, just lacking the poison part.

"Why are you dodging the question?"

"I'm not, it's the truth. Now get back to cooking before you burn the food."

Yahiko glared at her but turned back to the food. "You're not telling me because you don't trust me."

"Do you trust me?" There was no response to this. "Exactly. Trust is a two-way street. I can't fully trust you until you trust me."

"Are those bottles really that dangerous?" She was saved from answering by a knock at the door.

"Eichi," she said, opening the door to find her old friend. "What brings you here?"

"Do I need an excuse to see my friend?" He said coming in and sitting down. "Who's the kid?"

"I'm not a child," Yahiko said watching Eichi cautiously.

"He's my student and he lives with me now." Eichi just grunted and rolled his eyes. "Eichi," she reprimanded. "I will not stand here and let you insult my student."

"He probably has a criminal record. Better keep an eye on him, otherwise he's bound to steal from you."

"Eichi!" She said, blocking Yahiko who was now furious. "Get out and come back when you are in a better mood. I will not stand for this."

He stood up angerly and came towards her threateningly. She kept her arm out to stop Yahiko, "Don't do something you're going to regret," she said.

He grabbed the closest vial to him and threw it on the ground. Causing it to shatter and the contents to be ruined. Then he stormed out of her apartment, slamming the door.

"Who was that?" Yahiko asked, moving to help her clean up the mess.

"An old friend. We grew up together."

"He's your friend?"

"He was," she said with a sigh.

"What happened?"

"He became obsessed with catching the Battousai and I didn't agree with him."

"Why?"

"Because I don't believe the Battousai is bad, so I don't believe the police should be trying to catch him. I believe they should focus on more important things."

"It looked like he was going to hurt you."

"He knows better than that. I can easily match him and he's on my terrain. He knows if he went down that path he would regret it. Herbs can be used in many different ways if you know what to do. It's what stops him from trying to break in every time he suspects I am treating a criminal. And he still sees me as a friend, despite not agreeing with me."

"So, should I be careful around him?"

"Yes."

Yahiko nodded and returned to the kitchen to finish cooking. Karou sighed. It was hard, losing her friend, but she was determined to stand up for what she believed. Eichi still came to her and they would talk but the conversations didn't usually end well. The last time she had seen him was when he had told her about his plan to catch the Battousai by collapsing a building on him. That had ended in quite the shouting match. He probably would be furious if he ever found out she had been on that side of town that night. Since she lived so far away from the Battousai, he hadn't even suspected her of helping the Battousai. He was probably still furious that his plan had failed, which is why today had not gone well.