Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Steps Of Courage ❯ Stories of Before ( Chapter 3 )

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Chapter Three

Kenshin's agile hands unrolled a clean sheet of linen bandages. Slowly and cautiously he wrapped it around Naruku's forearms and her right calf. He tied them up tightly, noticing how she winced and tugged slightly on her brick-red hair.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "But it won't heal otherwise."

"No, it's all right," she confirmed. "It only hurts a little. I do want my leg to heal. I feel useless while it's broken." She grimaced.

"Look…" He brushed a finger across her collar. "The bruises are healing." He relinquished his hand. "That's good news, that it is."

Naruku glowed. "It's only thanks to you guys pampering me all the time," she said coyly. Sincerely she added, "It feels awful."

Kenshin patted her consolingly on the leg. "We don't expect you to do much work around here right now. You need rest most of all."

She made a face. "I hate rest."

Kenshin laughed out loud. "Most who live the fight, do."

"Hey! I do not 'live the fight!'" she protested. "I just know a bit of self-defense, that's all. Apparently nothing that could really help me at all…"

Kenshin sobered. "Naruku-dono, no one has wanted to question you, but we've all been wondering…"

"You want to know why I was chased here," Naruku finished for him. He nodded.

"If it offends—"

"No, no. I'll tell you. I used to live in rural Sendai, a city in the Tohoku region," she began. Kenshin slowly nodded. He had heard of Sendai.

"I lived with a fairly well-to-do guardian. We got our finaces from his very rich brother who traveled back and forth between our house in Sendai and his estate in

here in Tokyo. Well, I didn't know it until quite recently, but this brother was actually making a living doing illegal things…I wanted to leave there and go back to

Kyoto, but I was convinced otherwise. That is, until he was arrested. My guardian and I were no longer safe. Many of his brother's underlings blamed us for the fall

of his underground kingdom. He sent me away to Tokyo, thinking that I wouldn't be attacked there. He would meet up with me later. But as things are now, I don't hold out much hope. They know I am in Tokyo now, and my guardian is not a fool. He will not set foot here."

Kenshin's eyes clouded over, trying to make sense of this. "He would abandon you?"

Naruku looked up sharply. She separated her lips slowly, but had nothing to say. Kenshin's words repeated in her head. "He would abandon you…?" No no! Her head screamed in reply. He didn't abandon me…he knows I'm safe. He doesn't want to endanger me here! She lowered her head and forced back tears. "I'm very sorry…I don't want anything to happen while I'm here. I hoped that a city like Tokyo would discourage any incidents from happening. Maybe I was wrong."

Kenshin tipped her face up. "Don't worry Naruku-dono. No one will come after you. You are safe here."

She could no longer stop the tears. Slowly her eyes welled up and tears slowly rolled down her cheeks. "Thank you Kenshin. Thank you."

"Kyah! Kyah!" Yahiko's cries rang out through the dojo as he swung his shinai furiously.

Naruku smiled appreciatively and broke off another piece of the brown candy called chocolate. She stuck it in her mouth and chewed, watching Yahiko train. A few

days ago Megumi had gone on a day-trip to Yokohama and had brought back the delicious treat for some of her younger patients and the occupants of the dojo.

Naruku just could not get enough of the chocolate phenomenon.

She was sitting on the edge of the porch while Yahiko did drills in the courtyard. Somewhere behind him, Kenshin was washing the laundry.

Naruku clapped as Yahiko switched to an elaborate jabbing motion. She kicked out both of her feet gleefully, happy to be free at last of the refining bandages. It

had been a little more than two weeks since she had arrived at the dojo and indeed, no one had come looking for her.

She was inclined to forget about her assailants, but worried still. She found it harder and harder to be anxious though, when she was surrounded by her friends, all of which were strong enough to fend off anyone that crossed their paths, nevermind a few crooked ruffians.

Naruku laughed as Yahiko, nervous from being watched, misjudged the distance and toppled over. Her eyes shot open in surprise when Yahiko flipped over, getting dust and mud all over himself. She trotted over to help him up.

"Jeez…thanks Naruku," Yahiko said graciously. He brushed himself off.

"Yahiko, Kaoru-dono wants you to clean the drill-hall today," Kenshin spoke up from the wash-bucket.

"Huh? Okay," he replied absently.

There was a small smile on Kenshin's lips as he continued scrubbing away at the laundry.

Naruku was surprised that Yahiko agreed so easily, so it was a few seconds before she made after him. "Hey, wait up Yahiko! I'll help you with that."

The kid turned back and smiled gratefully. "Thanks."

She caught up with him and they continued toward the drill-hall.

"Not very many would agree to do Kaoru's slave labor," Yahiko grinned.

"Don't call it that," she reprimanded. "Kaoru-san gives you a home, doesn't she? In return, you keep that home clean."

"Yeah, I guess she does."

"Besides, you agreed to help, right?" She winked at him. "I thought that was very mature and responsible of you."

Beneath spiky brown bangs, Yahiko blushed. "Yeah, well, it's part of my training," he went on impressively.

"I'll bet." She ruffled his hair. "You're gonna be a big strong master of the Kamiya Kasshin one day, aren't you?"

Yahiko puffed up his chest, feeling a little silly because such an elementary compliment could make him feel so proud. "That's right, I'll be stronger than Kenshin

even!"

Naruku laughed at his bold words.

"You know kid, I've never met anyone quite like you," she told him a few minutes later. They were already at work, wiping the floors of the drill-hall clean.

"I bet you wouldn't," Yahiko answered, the tone of a joke edging into his voice. Though what he said next was uttered with all sincerity. "I've got some special blood

in me, ya know? Got a very interesting history. Stuff you won't believe."

"Oh?" she mimicked his tone. "Try me." She looked down at her task, trying not to burst out laughing.

"My father was a great samurai!" he pronounced proudly.

"No wonder…" she quipped, but her expression softened into an honest one when Yahiko went on.

"He died in the Seinen Wars, before I was even old enough to know him. My mom nearly killed herself trying to earn enough money so we could both survive. In

the end, she died of syphilis…" Yahiko was starting to sound downcast and even ashamed.

Naruku's lip quivered and her heart opened to the young man in front of her. Never had she met someone so young and seemingly carefree who had gone through

so much. "Yahiko…"

"There's was nothing she could leave me. For quite a while I believed I had been left with a great debt to the Shuei Yakuza. They made me pickpocket for them, so

I could 'pay back the debt…'" he went on scornfully. "One day, only a year or two ago, I tried to steal from Kenshin…"

"I'm guessing that didn't work."

"And later that day, I found out the truth when Kaoru risked her life to save me. After that, I started to stay here and to learn the Kamiya Kasshin. Before that I was

stuck on learning Kenshin's style, the Hiten Mitsurugi. Kenshin wouldn't teach me, but that's just as well. I've come a long way since then, I guess," he looked down,

now ashamed that he had shared so much.

Naruku's hand found its way to his shoulder. "You're really brave Yahiko," she spoke softly. "More brave than anyone I know."

Yahiko brought a hand to his eyes to hide the tears. "Not braver than Kenshin," he choked out.

Naruku brought him forward so his head was against her chest. "Maybe, Yahiko. Your pride and benevolence will lead you to have courage. And faith." She

smiled. "I know Kaoru believes in you, or else she wouldn't waste her time teaching you the sword arts. I believe in you Yahiko. I barely know you, but I do."

She heard Yahiko sniffle. "Hey…" He began softly, pulling away from her.

"Hai?"

"Are you Buddhist?" he asked suspiciously.

Naruku sighed; it was impossible to stay on a serious topic for more than a few minutes. After that time, it would turn to friendly banter. "No, I'm not a Buddhist!"

"Oh, okay."

"But so what if I was? Would that make me any different? You shouldn't discriminate, Yahiko! It's wrong to hate someone because of his or her religion—" she

lectured.

"Mou, I was only asking!" he groaned. "We should get back to work, anyhow, if we want to be finished by dusk."

Naruku smiled and took up her washcloth once more. Never have I met someone so young who's this hard-working. He deserves what he has here at the

dojo. He deserves a loving family and a promising future. Naruku didn't let her thoughts turn to herself. She wouldn't ask the question that lurked there, in her

mind. Did she deserve it?

Naruku was busily trying to patch up her own clothes when Kaoru walked in dressed in hakama, her bokken slung over her shoulder.

"In thanks for cleaning the drill-hall yesterday and in celebration of your recovery, I'm giving you the day off. You're not allowed to do work today," Kaoru

announced.

Naruku looked up at her and smiled. "Arigatou Kaoru-san!"

"Another thing," Kaoru added, as though she were instructing Naruku on a precarious task. "You're not to call me 'Kaoru-san' any longer. We're friends now, are

we not? Kaoru-san is far too formal. So go ahead and get into town to shop or relax. I'm off to the Maekawa dojo to train. I'll see you at dinner." And with that she walked off.

Naruku stared down at the mess of clothes in her arms, knowing exactly where she was headed that day.

Walking down the path to Tokyo gave Naruku a certain sense of freedom. She thought back to the Kamiya dojo. Living there made her feel free as well. Today,

she resolved, I will pick up something for each of them. Even Sano.

She thought laughingly of their last encounter, only that same morning. She had been pouring over one of Kaoru's kenjutsu books when she had heard Sano

whistling outside her room.

"Hey, rooster-head!" Naruku called. He spun on his heel to face her.

Standing in the doorway to her room, he asked, "What do you want koneko?" Not unkindly.

Naruku closed the book and pushed it to the side. "Well I—" she stopped suddenly. "Koneko? What the hell? I'm Naruku, remember?"

Sano laughed at this. "You say you're twenty, but you're only the size of a fourteen-year-old!" he teased her. "You're like the kitten that wouldn't grow because it

was stunted for life."

Hearing this, Naruku raised an eyebrow. "Which kitten is this?" she asked, thinking it was some Japanese folk-tale that Sano thought existed.

"Uh…" Instead of searching for an answer, Sano simply changed the subject. "What do you want, anyway?"

"Forget it, you're too much of an idiot," she muttered in reply. "Actually, I just want to know…well, it's hard to explain, but, you see, I want to ask Kenshin

something but I'm pretty certain he'll refuse."

Sano had been puzzled for a moment. Then his eyebrow twitched. "If you want something like that…then why did you come to me for assistance?"

"Well I can't ask anyone else, now can I?" she replied impatiently.

"No, I guess you can't…"

"I mean, I would ask Kaoru, but I'm afraid she'd get angry…"

"Or at least tell you to do it somewhere else," Sano muttered, his eye still twitching.

Naruku absently nodded, but then paused a second later. Slowly she turned her head up to him and raised a quivering finger. "Y-you thought I wanted…that?" Her

face was bright red and the blush increased every second. She closed her eyes and put her hand on her cheeks. "Oh my…"

Sano, too, had the courtesy to let a faint pink tinge appear across his nose. Trust him to take a simple request and turn it into something dirty.

Shouts of "Sanosuke you hentai!" could be heard all throughout the Kamiya dojo, accompanied by the crashes and bangs of airborne objects.

At the present time, Naruku only closed her eyes and laughed.

"What a lovely day," a feminine voice murmured as the speaker sidled up to Naruku.

"Megumi-san?" Naruku whirled around to face her new companion. While she was starting to feel comfortable using 'chan' with Kaoru, she wouldn't try it was such

an elegant woman like Megumi, who she hardly knew, aside from being brought to the Ogura clinic to be checked up on. In fact, she hardly thought she'd stop using

'san' even if the two of them were to be friends.

The addressed one chuckled. "The one and only! How are you doing Naruku?"

"Just fine," she assured the lady-doctor. "Especially since the bandages have been taken off my leg and ribs. It feels so much better." She reached her arms up to the

sky to illustrate her point.

"Where are you off to, then?" Megumi inquired politely.

"Just down into town for a little. Kaoru-chan has given me the day off, so I'm going to buy myself some new clothes…and get my old ones fixed," she added,

motioned to the bag behind her. "What about you?"

"Just the same," Megumi replied easily, though her eyes slid off to the side for a moment, betraying her true intentions. "To uh," she cleared her throat. "Get some

new ingredients from the apothecary."

"Is that right?" Naruku implored, amusement revealing itself in her eyes. "So I guess you'll be eating a home-made lunch there, as well," she added, looking down at

the bag in Megumi's grip.

"Oh!" Megumi uttered, sounding relieved. "Y-yes. Yes I am."

"I see," Naruku turned back to the road. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Megumi tugging on her inky hair anxiously, and glancing along the sides of the road.

Naruku didn't even turn to Megumi as she said evenly, "I'm sure Sano will be delighted to receive a home-made meal."

The lady-doctor flushed a bright pink color, and Naruku knew she had finally hit Megumi's sensitive spot.

"W-what are you t-talking about?" Megumi inquired, trying to muster an unconcerned tone, while inside she was completely flustered.

Naruku only laughed light-heartedly. "Nevermind, nevermind!" she grinned, knowing full well Megumi was grateful to get off the subject.

Even so, the lady doctor lent some explanation. "If you must know, I am going over to that baka's place. He busted up his hand again, and is due at the clinic

sometime today. It's really quite crowded there, so Dr. Ogura sent me on a house-visit instead. He has the clinic under control, but if I have to fix that rooster-head's

hand one more time…" She clenched her fist in a way that reminded Naruku of Kaoru. "So anyway, I figured I'd bring over some of my left-overs for Sano to eat.

Somehow he stays deathly thin, even when he eats so much. Kami knows that we women wish we had this feat."

Naruku laughed along with her appreciatively, quietly accepting the doctor's excuse.

"So," Megumi began, for the sake of conversation. "Where did you come from, anyway?"

"Me?" Naruku clarified. She laughed inwardly. "Oh, you know, just came down from the moon." She couldn't help it any longer and burst out laughing, leaving

Megumi quite irked.

"Now really, can't you keep a conversation serious for one second?" Megumi demanded hotly.

Naruku's laughter subsided. "Fine, fine, have it your way. I'm originally from Kyoto, or at least some suburb of that. Most of my life, though, I spent in Sendai. I've

lived Tokyo before, in between Kyoto and Sendai, but I think of Kyoto as my home most of all."

Megumi soaked in the information, thinking that maybe the stunted little girl had a story to tell after all.

"Or, rather, I did think of Kyoto as my home…I'm definitely growing fonder of Tokyo every day. And the dojo is just great! The best home I've ever had," Naruku

continued chattering.

"Uh—did you leave someone behind in Sendai?" Megumi blurted. She quickly amended her words. "I apologize if that sounds forward. I just—" she stopped and

flushed as she saw Naruku's eyes grow round and solemn, just staring.

"In fact," Naruku spoke slowly. "I did leave someone behind there. Or rather, we both had to split off from there. In the end…well, it doesn't seem too likely that I'll

see him again…"

"Oh, Naruku, I'm sorry," Megumi began.

"No, no," she cut in. "It's fine. I'd thought I'd be so broken up about it, but in reality, I'm not. I swear I'm not. I don't know why it is, but I don't seem to…care much

at all." She blushed. "That sounds terrible!" she giggled nervously. "But it is how I feel…I can't deny that."

"Ah, well," Megumi exhaled. "I'm taking this road, then. I should think I'll see you again fairly soon."

Naruku laughed. "All right Megumi-san." They split off, and just before Megumi went out of earshot, Naruku called, "Thank you for the chocolates, by the way!"

And resumed on her way.

When the day was through, Naruku had little or no money left. She would have felt bad about this, seeing as she had acquired two sets of dogi, a sleeping yukata and her usual clothes tailored and mended if it weren't for several trinkets she held handy.

One was a light satin ribbon—white and lilac—which she had noticed the landlady Kaoru admiring when they had first met. She was sure the kenjutsu teacher

would appreciate the gift, and the thought behind it. Along with it, Naruku had bought a few simple spices, so maybe Kaoru would feel better about her food.

Naruku knew that some of the reason her food tasted so bad was because the dojo didn't have enough money to buy spices aside from soy sauce. The food was

blander than plain hot soba, so Naruku thought that they would all benefit from some ginger, cayenne and ground anise.

For Yahiko she had picked up several small stone-carved figurines; one a palm sized jade Buddha sculpture, mostly meant to be a joke. Another was a koi fish

carved out of some red stone, which was supposed to stand for good fortune. Or maybe it was supposed to bring him good fortune…? Oh well, it wasn't as if

Naruku believed in such things, but she thought he deserved the little fish anyway. The last was a smooth little stone she had picked up at the riverbed and had

painted hokori the character for 'pride' in her deep purple-blue ink. These items she clutched gently in her coin-purse, wincing every time they clanged together as

she walked along the path.

Sano's gift had been fairly easy to come up with. At first the thought she might try and coax the family that managed the market to allow her to pay thirty yen in

advance for any future purchases Sano would make. Instead she found herself awed by the wrist-guards she spotted in a martial-arts shop window. She found a

simple pair of red ones and purchased them.

It had been harder to find something for both Megumi and Kenshin. Megumi was sophisticated and hard working. A simple accessory wouldn't do. She thought of

buying the young doctor some herbs, but realized that she really didn't know what kinds to get, or what Megumi already had. In the end Naruku settled for buying a

small framed ink painting of a generic, moonlit mountain range. It was cheap—not done by any famous artist. But Naruku thought it was nice, and it reminded her a

bit of Megumi herself. The colors were faint and soft on the page, though each stroke was purposeful and bold.

What did one buy someone who's only wish was to reclaim his life? She had thought this over for quite a while, thinking of ideas and throwing them out just as

quickly. At first she had wanted to get him a tablet with some old Japanese proverb, but realized that it would not do. Kenshin needed no words, at least not those

carved into stone by old, brooding ex-samurai. It was then she snapped her fingers and the answer came.

Naruku glanced up at the sky, realizing it was nearly dusk. Her steps quickened as she drove herself up the hill to her new home—the Kamiya dojo. She neatly

swung open the crooked wooden gate and slid inside. She breathed in a faint aroma of miso. It was safe; Kenshin was cooking that night.

She trotted inside, exchanging a few greetings with Kaoru who was off to take a well-deserved bath. Inside her room, Naruku set down the assortment of gifts

inside her room and covered them all with a thin tan cloth. Having nothing else to do, she spread her new clothes out and hung them accordingly on the emonkake.

"Naruku-dono! Dinner is ready!" Came the familiar call. Naruku smiled to herself and hopped to her feet. Once in the dining room, she took her place among her

friends.

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