Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Steps Of Courage ❯ Hidden Friction ( Chapter 12 )

Disclaimer: All standard disclaimers apply. Always.

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Chapter 12

Kenshin watched as Enizu exhaled slowly, trying to remain calm at the sight of him and Naruku sprawled out on the porch. “What the hell are you doing?” Enizu demanded in a voice shaking with anger.

“Sumimasen, Enizu-san,” Kenshin replied quickly. That man already didn’t like him, and he knew his current predicament was not going to help matters. And it wasn’t going to be easy for Kenshin to get Enizu to stop wishing murder on him…“Naruku-dono and I were out late and when we arrived back here she—” he cut himself off there, noting how Enizu’s face became excruciatingly irate. Kenshin knew to stop his terrible excuse for an explanation before he could do any more possible damage.

“And just what were you doing out with my Naru-chan?” Enizu demanded heatedly, his voice growing in volume to match his temper.

Kenshin cringed at the possessiveness in his tone. “Please don’t yell, Enizu-san, you’ll wake Naruku-dono, that you will,” Kenshin said calmly.

“I’ll do whatever I damn please just as long as you do!” Enizu retorted in a bellow. His anger was cumulatively rising, and his desire to rip Kenshin to shreds did too.

“Enizu-san please—”

“O…hayo?” Naruku stirred in her sleep, and sat up groggily. She wiped her eyes, looking bewildered between Enizu’s livid face and Kenshin’s face, which had softened as he saw her. “Enizu? Is…is everything okay?”

Enizu was visibly shaking with anger, but he bit out his reply. “I’m just fine.”

“Oh…” Naruku said distantly. She then smiled brightly, just as she was supposed to. “That’s very good, then. Are you staying for breakfast?” she started to sweat a little, trying to ignore the pressure. There was a huge amount of tension between Kenshin and Enizu, and Naruku was afraid of it all crashing down. She tried to keep her face as normally cheerful as possible while she attempted to relieve the stress.

“I am undoubtedly staying for breakfast,” Enizu replied, his voice coming out in a hiss directed at Kenshin. The latter tried to ignore the extremely domineering tones in Enizu’s voice, and shifted from on foot to the other uncomfortably.

“Kenshiiiiin!” came Kaoru’s anxious cry. “I think I’ve killed the miso soup!”

“Oro?” Kenshin sighed and shook his head. Naruku mentally thanked Kaoru for the release from tension she had inadvertently provided. “I’ll be right there, Kaoru-dono.” He turned away from Naruku and Enizu, muttering a quick “by your leave” and went inside to assist Kaoru and her poor cooking skills.

Naruku had to restrain herself from sighing in relief aloud. She reached for her hanashitou and set it in her lap happily, smiling up at Enizu. “I wasn’t expecting you this morning,” she informed him pleasantly.

Enizu made a grunting noise that seemed to sound like obviously, but Naruku paid it no attention.

“Naru-chan,” he began in a low voice. “Where were you last night?” he seemed very urgent.

“Oh,” Naruku replied. “Well, you remember the reason we came to Tokyo?”

“Of course,” Enizu answered, his eyes flashing.

“Well, I was kidnapped by them. The men who used to work for your brother,” she began, pushing loose hair away from her eyes. “They drugged me and tied me up,” she went on, watching as Enizu’s eyes grew in astonishment and anger. “Only, I got free, somehow,” she grinned. Not somehow. She hadn’t just miraculously gotten untied. Nope, she had done it all herself. “And beat up the seven guys who were there. So when a skilled swordsman attacked me, I couldn’t fight back because I had no sword. Luckily, Kenshin noticed I was gone and ran after me, with my sword. So I took it and beat the swordsman.” She tried not to look too pleased with herself.

“I see,” Enizu responded icily. “And when you got back…?”

This had obviously been the part Enizu wanted to hear about most.

Unfortunately, Naruku could only disappoint him with her answer. “I guess I fell asleep before we arrived,” she admitted.

“Hm…” Enizu answered, sweeping his eyes from one side of the dojo yard to the other. “I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to make it to breakfast. Some very important business has come up.”

A look of distress flitted across Naruku’s features, but she urged herself to smile and blink. “That’s too bad,” she replied as he turned on his heel. “I guess I’ll see you some other time, then,” she kept her voice light and floating, but she turned away from Enizu and her features distorted into an anxious and miserable expression. She began to move, one foot and in front of the other, and walked briskly into the hall, heading to her room to change.

By the end of breakfast, Naruku’s late-night adventure had been told many times over. Sano had laughed at her, teasing and calling her the ‘Amazing, bouncing Koneko,’ which Naruku didn’t seem to find too humorous.

“Are you sure that’s the last of them, though?” Kaoru asked worriedly, biting her lip.

“Yes,” Naruku replied. “There aren’t any more who would come after me.” She recalled her opponent’s words from the night before. I know of two people who would come running to save you…They weren’t only after her and Enizu for their role, or lack thereof, in their boss’s arrest. They were after Kenshin as well. And why? Just because Kenshin held the title of Battousai. She grimaced and got to her feet.

“Oh, Naruku-dono,” Kenshin cut into her thoughts briefly. “We can go out to train when I’ve finished the laundry…if that’s convenient for you.”

Naruku nodded enthusiastically. “I’ll help Kaoru-chan with the dishes.”

Kaoru, who had been about to protest about no one helping, shut her mouth, looking satisfied.

In the kitchen, Kaoru and Naruku scrubbed away, the latter whistled loudly.

“So,” Kaoru began, setting down a now-dry dish. “You and Yahiko will have to spar sometime. Apprentice against apprentice. You know,” she said, shaking her head and picking up a new dish. “I still can’t believe that.”

“What?” Naruku questioned, looking up from her soapy plate.

“You. Kenshin teaching you Hiten Mitsurugi. He flat out refused Yahiko when he asked. Not that I mind. Don’t tell him, but Yahiko is one of the most devoted students I’ve ever encountered.”

Naruku smiled at this hidden affection Kaoru had for Yahiko. “Well I told Kenshin that I wanted to learn the style that Battousai knew.”

Kaoru nearly dropped her plate. “What?”

“Yeah,” Naruku shrugged. “I wanted a good understanding of him. Why he did the things he did.”

Kaoru blinked, her shock dying down. “We never talked about it before but Naruku, the reason you walked out on Kenshin a few weeks ago… it wasn’t because you feared or hated who was back then, was it?”

“No,” Naruku agreed. It was because I feared and hated what I knew I was about to become. “It wasn’t. Mainly, I think, it was just confusion. I mean,” she chose her next words very carefully. “You are brought up your whole life with one image of someone…one idea about him. And then you meet him, only you don’t know it. And you come to enjoy his company and care for him…and your life gets flipped around when you realize that he is the one person you had been taught to mistrust. But I guess I realized that you have to do some things on your own. I couldn’t just form new conclusions about Kenshin from something I was only told as a child.”

Kaoru listened carefully to Naruku, and looked into her eyes. She blinked, and realized that Naruku was telling the unadulterated truth. She smiled, satisfied and proud.

“Go on, then,” she said, motioning outside. “I’ll finish up the dishes.”

Naruku flashed a smile a said a quick “Thanks” before sashaying out the door outside and toward Kenshin.

Naruku closed her eyes, concentrated, and when she had opened them again she knew her swing was somehow flawed. She turned to her sensei for further direction, or perhaps a rebuke.

Only, Kenshin was staring off in the other direction, paying no attention whatsoever to Naruku’s small plight.

“Oi…” Naruku grumbled, marching over to him stiffly. “What’s the deal? You can space off while doing the laundry, can’t you? Why when I’m having my lesson?”

Kenshin glanced at her and gave her little acknowledgment.

Instead of getting mad like Naruku thought she might have, she was instantly concerned. She hated the way Kenshin did that to her. Her flaring temper was doused around him, and her emotions seemed disoriented. “Hey,” she said softly into his ear. “Is something wrong?”

“No,” Kenshin sighed, and turned to her. “Nothing is. Want to show me that swing again?”

Naruku looked at him strangely but did as he said.

“It’s a little crooked,” Kenshin reprimanded gently. He put his hands over hers on the hilt of the sword. “The movement should flow through you and the sword,” he told her, easing her hands into a slow swing.

Naruku grinned and tried it on her on. Kenshin showed her a series of steps, which she then mimicked. And just like that, Kenshin was teaching and Naruku was learning.

About an hour later, as Kenshin was showing Naruku a certain trick to guarding her chest, they spotted two familiar people walking up the path.

Naruku sheathed her sword after she had gotten the trick down, and squinted at the figures. She brightened upon realizing who it was.

Coming the opposite direction, unnoticed by Naruku, was Sano, who slouched in his posture.

“Oi,” Sano called to Kenshin. “Jou-chan and the kid have taken a break for lunch. She says you two should—” he cut himself off upon noticing the two other people on the pathway.

“Kistune? And Enizu?” he asked incredulously.

Naruku shrugged, feeling as bewildered as Sano sounded, but much less outwardly angry.

“What is she thinking?” Sano cried, outraged.

Megumi, who had just strolled into to hearing distance, arm-and-arm with Enizu, replied candidly, “Ohohoho…Enizu-san offered to escort me to the dojo and I couldn’t refuse such a gentleman…” she batted her eyes, and Sano rolled his.

“Enizu, I thought you said you had something to take care of today,” Naruku remarked, flinching at how wounded her voice sounded.

“Oh yes, well it took much less time than I had supposed. Much less. So I decided to come for another visit, and met up with Megumi-san,” he smiled broadly, and Naruku was inwardly glad he wasn’t surly as he had been that morning.

“Megumi? You coming to see Kenshin again?” Naruku questioned, turning to the older woman.

“Oh, I wish, but I am actually here on business,” Megumi replied breezily, releasing Enizu’s arm at last.

“Business Megumi-dono?” Kenshin put in.

“Yes. Yahiko’s little friend Tsubame-chan sprained her ankle this morning. I don’t have anyone to look after her since Tae-san is working extra hard for lack of her best waitress, and I myself need to tend to my other patients. So I thought I’d drop by and see if Yahiko-chan, or anyone else, wanted to look after her today…” Megumi’s story petered out.

“I’d bet you anything Yahiko would jump at that chance,” Naruku smirked. “Let’s all walk up to the dojo for lunch, then.”

Kenshin smiled and nodded his consent, while everyone else gave varied forms of agreement.

“Actually,” Sano remarked as they walked toward the dojo. “I was thinking I wouldn’t mind looking after the Sanjo kid.”

Megumi raised an eyebrow at this. “You? Sanosuke Sagara, baby-sitting?”

Sano shrugged in a detached manner. “She’s a sweet kid.”

“Is there some ulterior motive here? Like getting discounts at the Akabeko?” Megumi quipped.

Sano glanced at the ground, and only Naruku could see the slight hurt in his eyes. “It’s just something I want to do…” he said softly. “Do I really need a reason to act like a nice guy? Am I really that bad?”

The condescending expression on Megumi’s face quickly disappeared. “Sano…” she said. “I didn’t mean—” she cut herself off and bit her lower lip. “I’m sure Tsubame will enjoy your company,” she said kindly.

Naruku looked uneasy as she averted her eyes from the pair of them, instead choosing to glance at Enizu and Kenshin. The latter was looking mildly interested at Megumi and Sano, while Enizu gazed right back at Naruku.

“You know,” Naruku piped, tearing her eyes away from Enizu’s softly probing expression. “If Sano’s gonna look after Tsubame at your place, I was thinking Yahiko would want to spar with me,” she said it mostly to break the awkward silence that was settling over them, but also because she truly did want to see how she measured up to Yahiko.

“That sound like a good idea, that it does,” Kenshin mused. “I’m sure Yahiko will jump at that chance.”

They walked through the gate to an empty courtyard. Like Sano had said, Yahiko and Kaoru had already stopped for lunch and had no intention to wait for them.

The five of them walked briskly into the dinning room and plunked themselves down between Kaoru and Yahiko.

“Oh…hello everyone,” Kaoru greeted. “If I knew we were having so many visitors, I would’ve made more food for everyone.”

Discreet looks of nausea washed over them.

“Oh…that’s okay Kaoru-chan,” Megumi spoke quickly. “I brought some onigiri.”

“What, do you just carry a basket of that around at all times?” Naruku asked, befuddled.

“Maybe,” Megumi returned coyly, unfolding the colorful cloth inside the basket of onigiri.

The five of them eagerly reached for the rice-balls, and were pleasantly surprised upon finding sweet rolls among the onigiri. Even Kaoru had to grudgingly reach for some.

“Oi, Yahiko,” Naruku said around a bite of daifuku. “I wanted to ask you—” she swallowed. “To spar.”

She could see the fire behind Yahiko’s dark eyes light up.

“Yahiko!” Kaoru snapped, hurling the boy out of his optimistic trance. “Not until you’ve done the dishes.”

And Yahiko knew that Kaoru was dead serious and had just managed to make him do the dishes for the first time in days.

“Fine, busu…” Yahiko grumbled.

Before Kaoru could even so much as shriek, Enizu put in, “Yahiko, what use is it calling your fair teacher names?”

Yahiko looked so surprised he didn’t even have a retort for once. Instead he resigned and obediently cleared the dishes and took them to the kitchen.

“You seem to finally have a grasp on that kid,” Megumi remarked, her brown eyes dancing with amusement.

“I try,” Kaoru answered with a grin.

“Of course, Enizu-san is quite a help,” Megumi went on.

“Catch you all later,” Sano said, standing up abruptly. “I have to go look after Yahiko’s little girlfriend.”

They politely bid him farewell, though Naruku was oddly quiet.

“What are you thinking about?” Kenshin asked.

“I’m just concentrating. Come on, even Kenshin-the-great has to concentrate before a fight, ne?” the witticism came easily to her, but it felt strange on her tongue. All right, so I’m nervous, she admitted. I shouldn’t be. I wasn’t nervous last night when I was fighting off all those guys. Even in her head the words rang false. Fine, I was nervous then and I am now.

“I’m done Kaoru!” Yahiko hollered from the kitchen. He marched back into the dining room and out the door, motioning briefly for Naruku to follow. With her came the rest of the gang as well, save for Megumi who took off after exchanging good-byes.

“As always, I will be coaching since I know the rules the best,” Kaoru stated grandly as they walked into the drill hall. She then proceeded to inform Naruku how the matches were won. “…if you make contact with one of the strike zones, that’s a point. We’re only going to be playing to three. So whoever wins two wins the match.”

Kaoru had also given Naruku a shinai to wield in place of her hanashitou, which she left next to Kenshin as she readied herself for the fight.

Both Yahiko and Naruku shook hands before dispersing to opposite sides of the drill hall.

Naruku’s eyes were on the floor as she walked with her back turned to Yahiko. The ground was of glossy wood that creaked quietly as she walked along it. She spun around, turning her back to the crisp wood walls and facing Yahiko. The two of them bowed in unison.

“Ichi, ni, san!”

And just like that, a match had begun.

Without so much as pausing to take a stance, Yahiko charged at Naruku. Very much surprised, but still on guard more-or-less, Naruku judged the time it would take Yahiko to reach her. She couldn’t use her usual dodging tricks with him, as he was smaller and faster than she was. Instead, she focused on sensing him and swung around to block as he rained down on her.

Yahiko gave a short outcry and jumped back before closing in again.

“He isn’t going easy on her,” Enizu observed from the sidelines.

“Well should he?” Kenshin returned. “Naruku-dono is both older and bigger than him. Though not by much.”

Yahiko and Naruku met again, and each parried the other’s blows as fast as they dealt them.

“They seem almost equally matched. Naruku has an advantage in speed, it seems, but Yahiko has more power, despite his size,” Kenshin stated. “You’ve fought Yahiko, but in all the time you’ve known her, have you ever faced off with Naruku?”

Either he was pondering the question or too caught up in watching the fight, because Enizu did not answer at once. Instead his blue eyes darted back and forth between Yahiko and Naruku, as Naruku finally took the offensive and jumped up above Yahiko. “No,” was the final verdict. “Forgive me if I sound biased, but I do not see women as fit to be trained in any form of violence.”

Kenshin raised his eyebrows at that. Even before he had met Kaoru, he had never, consciously or otherwise, had a strong opinion either way about women practicing kenjutsu. Kenshin though of people in general. Either that or individuals. There were no groups or categories.

Naruku landed behind Yahiko and spun as she landed. Without missing a beat she pushed her shinai into Yahiko’s back. He cried out as Kaoru called a point for Naruku.

Yahiko furiously attacked, without much relent. Naruku blocked nearly as quickly, but Yahiko was beginning to have an edge. At last he drove the shinai into Naruku’s right shoulder, and it was a point for him. The next point would determine the winner.

“Do you think women are weak?” Kenshin questioned, turning his eyes away from the fight and toward Enizu.

“Some,” was his simple reply. Enizu’s eyes were still on the fight, glancing between the two participants, watching for the final point. “As are children.”

“I don’t believe Naruku-dono is weak,” Kenshin said bluntly.

“If she can not beat a child, how is she strong?” Enizu replied.

Kenshin looked in shock. “Yahiko is no ordinary kid. He is stronger than many men in this country, and twice as courageous.”

“Courage isn’t strength. Neither is faith, or anything else. Strength is the purist and simplest part of human nature,” Enizu cut in. “Though some strength is never recognized until it is too late. And much strength in the world goes to waste.”

Kenshin turned his eyes back onto the fight as Yahiko crouched and slid around Naruku’s knees behind her. He cried out as he spun around to go in for his strike. He knew he only had one chance. Right as Naruku was twirling to face him, he took a swing and hit her on her left hip.

“Itai!” she cried out, collapsing.

Kaoru whistled loud and signaled the end of the match. “All right Yahiko!” she cheered. “You two put on quite a fight! Now shake hands again. Whatever happened here stays here. No hard feelings.”

And there weren’t, because soon Yahiko and Naruku were smiling and laughing together. They shook each other’s hands and that closed the fight. It would only be looked on with fond memories in the future.

Kenshin stared at Enizu’s piercing blue eyes as he moved to congratulate Naruku. It suddenly struck the red-haired man how much easier it was to spar with swords than to speak with words. A sparring match had a definite beginning and ending and always by the end it was resolved.