Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Life the Saitoh Fujita Way ❯ What Is She Doing Here? ( Chapter 5 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: anreg
Prior to the outbreak of war in Aizu city, Saitoh Hajime is asked to help train a group of women, including Tokio, who will help defend the castle when the need arises.

"The third captain should have known better than to insult a lady."

Anime/Manga: Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 01.30.2008 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.1K | Visits: 334 | Status: Work In Progress

Prior to the outbreak of war in Aizu city, Saitoh Hajime is asked to help train a group of women, including Tokio, who will help defend the castle when the need arises.
"The third captain should have known better than to insult a lady."
(30 R Theme: Soooo not funny!)
 
What is She Doing Here?
 
They were a group of women called the Joushitai who had banded together to help defend Aizu castle in case a full-scale war broke out around its walls. At the time I was sure it would, I just didn't know when.
 
After I came back from the Shirakawa district, Matsudaira asked me if I would help them train. I was the ranking Shinsengumi officer there at the time. My reputation was no secret. I agreed reluctantly. My view of where women belonged did not include the battlefield, unless that is what someone wanted to call a futon.
 
To say that I was surprised to see her there was an understatement. She was introduced to me when I first arrived in town, as Teruhime's secretary, and looked the part, more than she looked like a naganata wielding warrior. But there she was, lined up with the other girls on the first day of practice.
 
Before I left for a few weeks on that assignment, she and I had encountered each other as we conducted business inside the castle compound. We did exchange greetings, and even a few words, mostly about our respective duties, but she never mentioned that her duties included anything like this.
 
The fact that this woman took even a small part of my thoughts irritated me at the time. I had more important things to think about than the female members of the population. Not that I didn't give my attention to them on occasion; I was like any other young man.
 
I walked down the line, inspecting the weapons they held. Some were suitable; others were in dire need of repair. Those would be sent to our smithy after the day's session was finished. If these girls were to have any chance at all to defend themselves, or others, they would need sturdy weapons that wouldn't fall apart on the first blow landed.
 
When I got to her, I couldn't help myself. “What are you doing here? I thought you were Teru-sama's scribe,” I spit out rather roughly with a hint of disgust in my voice, as I leaned closer to her, examining her naganata. Her build was too slight, and her features too delicate to be a believable soldier.
 
However, I was smart enough to keep my voice low so that she was my only audience. That bothered me, too. Why should I care whether anyone else heard my remarks to her?
 
She just scowled at me; I won't say that I didn't deserve it. I was surprised to find that her weapon was in the best condition of any of the girl's. I should have known then that she wasn't just any ordinary girl.
 
Inspections finished, I gave them my lecture about safety, and defense techniques. Tomorrow we would start practicing those things. When they could do those well enough, instruction on attack stances would follow. I occasionally glanced in her direction while I talked, smirking when I noticed that the scowl had not left her face.
 
Seeing that I could get a rise out of her amused me. Why it did, I will never know. I should have known better. Later, I could only surmise that I was bothered that she, of all people, would be putting herself in danger. Maybe I felt a subconscious need to protect her in some way, even then, when I barely knew her.